•NRLF 


B   3   327    067 


ALVMNVS  BOOK  FVND 


.  '• 


LORENZO 


AND 


BT 


JOSEPH  ROGCIftE'FT*  V  .       "... ' '.' 


FROM 


CASAL 


Liberta  va  cercando  ch'  e  si  cara, 
Come  sa  chi  per  lei  vita  rifiuta. 

DANTE. 


WINCHESTER,  VA. 

FROM  THE  PRESS  OF  BROOKS  &  CONRAD. 
OFFICE  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN. 

1835. 


COPYRIGHT    SECURED   ACCORDING    TO    LAW. 


TO  ITALY 

H| 

THE  MISFORTUNES  OF  LORENZO 


ARE  INSCRIBED. 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA, 


Like  Cato  firm,  like  Aristides  just, 
Like  rigid  Cincinnatus  nobly  poor, 
A  dauntless  soul  erect,  who  smiled  on  death. 

Thompson, 

We  hear  a  great  many  exalting  the  civilization 
of  our  age ;  but  when  we  compare  the  fine  pre 
cepts  which  men  print  for  the  improvement  of  so 
ciety,  with  the  carelessness,  we  shall  not  say 
wickedness,  which  makes  some  men  to  believe  it 
is  their  interest  to  leave  those  sacred  books  in  the 
corners  of  libraries,  the  prey  of  mice  and  moths, 
we  cannot  help  thinking,  that  from  the  history  of 
Moses  to  this  age,  although  arts  and  sciences 
have  improved  the  physical  welfare  of  society, 
our  moral  is  inferior  to  that  of  the  men  of  the  fo 
rest.  The  reason  of  our  immorality,  we  hope, 
will  be  explained  in  the  course  of  the  following 
short  history  of  our  hero's  life  ;  and  we  shall  see, 
that  men  of  virtue  often  p&sfc.^rsiongst  ir§j,,;;not 
only  unnoticed  and  unrewarded,  tut,  [whilst  socie 
ty  receives  from  them  the 'freJaafifc  bf'Hur{ifii>q  in 
struction,  she  pays  them  with  the  most  ungrateful 
acts,  by  slandering  their  characters,  because,  like 
mirrors,  they  have  shown  the  faults  of  her  face, 

From  his  childhood  Lorenzo  had  been  instruct 
ed  by  his  mother  to  avoid  all  kind  of  selfishness, 
As  we  see  a  plant  growing  majestically  on  a  fer- 


6  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

tile  land,  spreading  delicious  fruit  for  all  who  ap 
proach  it,  so  Lorenzo,  from  his  childhood,  gave  in 
silence  and  with  generosity  all  he  had  in  his  pos 
session.  One  day,  going  home  from  school  with  an 
unsealed  letter  written  by  his  teacher  to  his  father, 
the  latter  asked  Lorenzo  if  he  knew  the  subject  of  it. 

"  My  teacher  told  me  it  is  written  for  a  grave 
fault  I  have  committed  ;  which,  being  a  too  grie 
vous  one,  thought  proper  to  leave  to  your  discre 
tion  the  punishment  I  deserve." 

"  Did  you  read  it  ?" 

"  No  ;  because  when  once  I  did,  you  told  me  I 
must  not  read  a  letter  not  being  directed  to  me." 

"  Well,  my  son,  come  now  and  read  it." 

It  wras  a  letter  inveighing  against  Lorenzo  with 
the  most  bitter  expressions,  because  my  little  he 
ro  had  broke  the  head  of  Hugo,  one  of  the  school 
boys. 

"  Why  have  you  done  so,  Lorenzo  I" 

"  Hugo  is  the  stronger  of  three  boys,  who, 
whilst  two  of  them  were  holding  Charles  on  the 
ground,  struck  my  dearest  friend  with  a  stick:  I 
was^quite  neutral  injtheir  quarrel ;  but,  seeing  such 
an  rmgmiero^sia^rcould  not  help  springing  at 
Hugo,  .so  that;  after-  many  struggles,  becoming  in 
p/ostfesskm  of  Ms  -stick^  I  struck  him  on  the  head, 
and  he  fell  senseless  on  the  ground." 

"  My  son,  if  the  fact  is  as  you  say,  which  I  do 
not  doubt,  be  more  moderate  in  defending  the 
weaker  ;  but  you  have  done  your  duty." 

"  Think,  father,  that  the  poor  Hugo  was  brought 
senseless  on  his  bed,  and  I  do  not  know  if  he  will 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  7 

recover.  Father,  any  punishment  you  may  in 
flict  on  me  will  alleviate  the  pain  I  feel  in  my 
heart  for  Hugo." 

The  father  embraced  his  son  with  tears  :  he,  af 
terwards,  learned  with  feeling,  that  Lorenzo  had 
before  admonished  the  three  little  tyrants  not  to  do 
so  against  Charles,  and  that  the  two  untouched 
antagonists  had  threatened  him  to  revenge  Hugo. 

Once,  being  at  a  window  with  one  of  his  friends, 
the  son  of  a  baker,  larger  than  our  little  hero, 
flung  stones  at  them.  Lorenzo  entreated  him  to 
cease  ;  but,  finding  the  baker's  son  proceeding  in 
his  work,  Lorenzo  went  in  the  street  and  knocked 
him  down.  The  mischievous  boy,  leaving  his  cap 
on  the  ground,  went  crying  away.  In  about  an. 
hour  a  servant  called  Lorenzo,  who  was  summon 
ed  by  his  mother  to  go  home,  where  he  found  the 
baker's  wife  claiming  the  money  for  her  son's  cap. 

"  Mother,  her  son  has  insulted  me ;  and  if  he  lost 
his  cap,  it  is  his  own  fault  not  to  have  picked  it  up." 

"  My  son,  you  might  be  right  according  to  hu 
man  laws,  but  you  would  have  done  better  to  fol 
low  Jesus,  by  bearing  patiently  with  your  persecu 
tor.  Take  the  box  in  which  you  put  the  money 
your  father  gives  you  when  you  know  your  lesson, 
and  give  this  poor  woman  the  value  of  her  son's 
cap." 

"  If  it  is  because  she  is  poor,  here  is  the  money, 
which  I  give  with  all  my  heart ;  but  if  I  had  suf 
fered  him  to  proceed  much  further,  he  would  have 
broke  the  window,  and  perhaps  have  wounded  my 
friend  or  me  dangerously." 


8  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

Whilst  the  other  boys  were  filling  up  their  me 
mories  with  Greek  and  Latin  words,  which  they 
could  not  understand,  Lorenzo  was  always  put 
ting  into  exertion  the  sound  moral  principles 
which  his  mother  inculcated  upon  him,  not  with 
vain  words,  but  with  her  example,  from  the  ear 
liest  period  of  his  understanding.  One  day,  while 
his  teacher  was  endeavoring  to  explain  the  moral 
of  a  fable  of  Esop,  in  which  it  is  related  the  au 
thor  gave  a  cent  to  a  boy  who  wilfully  struck  him 
with  a  stone,  telling  him  that  he  would  gain  more, 
by  striking  a  richer  man,  who  was  at  that  moment 
approaching  them. 

"My  mother,"  said  Lorenzo,  "would  not  so 
have  imposed  upon  his  ignorance,  because  she 
would  have  thought  such  an  irony,  not  being  un 
derstood  by  a  poor  mischievous  boy,  could  drag 
him  into  great  difficulties  ;  and,  indeed,  the  effect 
was,  that  he  lost  his  life  on  the  gallows." 

Lorenzo  was  one  of  those  almost  perfect  crea 
tures,  whom,  from  time  to  time,  Nature  gifts  with 
benevolence,  courage,  patience,  fortitude  in  adver 
sity,  understanding,  imagination,  sensibility,  and 
manly  and  commanding  presence — gifts,  when  alf 
combined  with  a  true  spirit  of  liberty  in  a  society 
where  reason  cannot  be  understood,  the  possessor 
of  it  leads  a  very  miserable  life.  But  as  the  ob 
ject  of  this  book  is  only  the  edition  of  my  esteem 
ed,  and  persecuted  countryman's  sentiments,  I  do 
not  wish  to  increase  the  volume  of  the  following 
letters,  which  are  now  in  my  possession. 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

TO  CHARLES. 

Turin, 

t)  terre  du  passe,  que  faire  en  tes  collines  ? 
Quand  on  a  mesure  tes  arcs  et  tes  mines, 
Et  fouille  quelques  noms  dans  1'urne  de  la  mort, 
On  se  retourne  en  vain  vers  les  vivans ;  tout  dort, 
Tout,  jusqu'  aux  souvenirs  de  ton  antique  histoire, 
Qui  te  feraient  du  moins  rougir  devant  ta  gloire ! 
Tout  dort,  et  cependant  1'univers  eat  debout! 

Lamartine. 

The  Prince  €....  fled  into  Spain  ;  a  great  many 
of  my  friends  left  Piedmont ;  Austria  invades  Ita 
ly  ;  and  the  sound  of  liberty  repeated  every  where 
is  now  silent.  My  mother  and  sisters,  with  tears 
rolling  down  their  cheeks,  wish  me  in  Switzer 
land,  fearing  the  government  might  cast  me  into 
prison.  Indeed,  if  they  will  not  doom  me  like 
G...,  who  lost  his  noble  life  by  the  hands  of  a  vile 
executioner,  a  perpetual  confinement  might  be 
my  end.  Now  I  never  go  out  without  two  pis 
tols  in  my  pocket;  but  what  can  these  avail 
against  the  strongest  1  I,  who  wanted  nothing 
but  the  rights  of  man,  and  sacrificed  the  whole  of 
my  property  for  my  country,  am  now  obliged  to 
live  as  an  outlaw.  Dear  mother,  dear  sisters ! 
how  can  I  leave  you,  now  destitute  of  every 
thing  1  The  infamous  tyrants,  not  satisfied  to 
see  us  deprived  of  our  whole  property  on  earth, 
took  from  your  mouth  your  daily  support.  But 
now,  what  can  I  do  I  I  cannot  stay  longer  in  the 
land  of  my  nativity.  My  dear  father  fell  on  the 
field  of  honor ;  my  brother  Henry  was  hanged 
for  having  been  another  Gracchus  ;  and  my  bro- 


10  LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA. 

ther-in-law  Jacopo,  and  brother  Hippolitus,  are 
now  fighting  in  Spain  for  the  same  cause  of  li 
berty.  Charles,  the  sorrow  carved  on  the  beau 
tiful  foreheads  of  my  sisters  is  enough  to  make 
me  cry  like  a  child  !  How  different  now  the 
house  of  my  father !  If  thy  soul,  my  worthy  fa 
ther,  see  from  heaven  all  the  calamities  we  are  un 
dergoing  by  having  followed  thy  heavenly  elo 
quence,  alas  !  pray  the  Creator  of  this  wicked 
earth  to  send  forth  the  thunder  of  his  wrrath  on 
the  heads  of  our  persecutors. 

A  great  many  are  passing  their  lives  like  streams 
meandering  in  a  delicious  garden  of  smiling  flow 
ers  and  refreshing  shades.  In  my  past  life,  my 
existence  was  embittered  with  seeing  every  thing 
injuring  my  liberal  education  ;  and  now,  I  see 
nothing  before  me  but  a  dreadful  desert. 

P.  S.  In  writing  to  me,  address  your  letter  to 
Geneva.  LORENZO. 

Fearing  to  wound  the  delicacy  of  a  respectable 
family,  we  omit  all  particular  concerns  and  scraps, 
which  would  only  increase  our  volume  without 
purpose. 


JLORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA,  11 

TO  LORENZO. 

Paris. 

Et  pourquoi  craindre  la  furie 

D'un  injust  dominateur  ? 

N'est-il  pas  une  autre  patrie 

Dans  1'avenir  consolateur? 
Ainsi,  quand  tout  flechit  dans  1'empire  du  monde, 

Hors  la  grande  ame  de  Caton, 
Immobile,  il  entend  la  tempete  qui  gronde, 
Et  tient,  en  meditant,  1'eternite  profonde, 
Un  poignard  d'une  main,  et  de  I' autre  Platon. 

Delille. 

But  is  not  the  country  of  thy  Charles  open  to 
thee  1  Come  with  me  to  England.  The  days  of 
our  sports  are  past,  my  dear  Lorenzo.  How  of 
ten  I  recollect  the  university  in  which  we  received 
an  education  so  contradictory  to  the  iron  govern 
ment  of  thy  country  !  Who  would  have  believed 
the  sentiments  of  Cicero,  Cato,  Plato,  Dante,  Pe 
trarch,  and  Machiavel,  could  have  made  unhappy 
my  best  friend  Lorenzo  1  I  will  remember  all 
my  life  when  thou,  in  reading  Bruto  Secondo  of 
Alfieri,  spokest  with  such  sublime  eloquence  a- 
gainst  the  oppressors  of  thy  country.  I  feel  yet 
a  chill.  If  the  Italian  people  had  been  present 
at  thy  oration,  thou  wouldst  not  now  be  obliged 
to  flee  from  thy  tyrants.  I  receive  several  jour 
nals  from  Italy,  and  particularly  from  Milan, 
whose  pens,  being  sold  to  the  German  govern 
ment,  have  the  impudence  to  disregard  every  Ita 
lian  genius  of  liberal  sentiment. 

Do  tell  me  what  thou  wantest.  I  am  rich. 
Not  only  is  my  whole  property  ready  for  thee — 


12  LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA. 

my  blood,  my  life  also.  I  do  not  know  thy  pre 
sent  situation  :  when  I  think  of  that  in  which 
some  of  thy  countrymen  are  now,  I  feel  my  hair 
stand  straight  up  pn  my  head.  CHARLES. 

In  passing  through  the  mountains  of  Savoy, 
Lorenzo  met  with  a  band  of  bandits. 

"  Here  is  all  rny  money,"  said  Lorenzo,  taking 
out  a  purse  in  which  he  had  three  hundred  livres  : 
it  was  the  scanty  sum  his  mother  saved  from  their 
confiscated  property.  But  one  of  those  outlaws, 
recognizing  Lorenzo,  said  to  the  others  not  to  be 
reave  him  of  that  subsistence,  since  he  had  seen 
Lorenzo  fighting  for  the  rights  of  the  people  in 
those  last  failing  struggles. 

"Well,"  answered  another  fellow,  ^  keep  your 
money :  we  are  taking  it  only  from  the  aristo 
crats'  pockets."  "  God  bless  you,  sir,"  said  they 
all ;  and,  proceeding  on  their  way,  left  Loren 
zo  in  a  thousand  philosophical  reflections.  On 
arriving  in  Switzerland  he  endeavored  to  give 
lessons ;  but  as  it  often  occurs  that  man  avoids 
man  in  necessity,  although  Lorenzo  was  a  scho 
lar,  and  an  eminent  teacher,  he  was  neglected. — 
So  Yoltaire  : 

!'  Les  medians  sont  hardis  ;  les  sages  sont  timides." 

For  more  than  a  year,  he  lived  only  on  bread 
and  water  ;  but  when  his  ability  became  known, 
he  gained  a  great  deal  of  money,  part  of  which  he 
sent  to  his  mother  and  sisters ;  but  feeling  a  sym 
pathy  for  Greece,  he  went  to  Missolongjri  with 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  13 

letters  of  recommendation  to  one  of  the  heroes  of 
that  city,  the  worthy  Bozaris. 

We  find,  among  Lorenzo's  papers,  the  follow 
ing  copy  of  a  letter,  which  seems  to  have  been 
written  to  one  of  his  creditors,  when  he  was  in 
a  most  heart-breaking  situation : 

SIR  :  Geneva. 

I  have  received  from  my  family  two  hundred 
livres,  which  I  was  anxious  to  send  you  imme 
diately,  and  deliver  myself  from  your  insupporta 
ble  persecution  ;  but,  finding  I  was  debtor  also  to 
a  gentleman  who,  although  he  does  not  live  so 
comfortably  as  you,  never  asked  me  for  a  single 
livre  ;  beside,  having  dealt  equitably  with  me, 
which  you  did  not,  I  determined  to  follow  the  laws 
of  reason,  by  doing  at  first  my  duty  to  him. — 
Spare  your  trouble  in  sending  every  week  for 
your  money,  since  my  intention  is  to  leave  not  a 
single  sous  of  debt. 


TO  CHARLES. 

MissolonghL 

I^a  trerita  nelle  anime  corrotte  £  corae  il  tuono  che  mugghia 
nelle  tombe,  ma  non  risveglia  i  cadaveri.  Pananti. 

I  cannot  understand  the  Romaic  ;  but,  in  gen 
eral,  the  Italian  language  is  tolerably  well  under 
stood  here.  The  state  of  Greece  is  in  great  dan 
ger  ;  they  have  a  great  many  intestine  divisions  : 
however  I  am  determined  to  be  either  conqueror 


14  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

or  conquered  for  the  good  cause.  A  man  must 
operate  according  to  his  own  sentiments.  The 
greater  part  of  Greece  is  for  freedom.  I  shall 
do  all  a  man  ought  to  do  against  the  tyrants  of  an 
oppressed  people.  And  when  shall  we  see  our 
rights  established  among  men?  The  Pope,  not 
feeling  the  interest  his  predecessor  felt  in  the  time 
of  the  crusades,  does  not  impart  his  holy  blessings 
in  favor  of  his  own  Christianity,  against  the  belie 
vers  of  Mahomet,  because  he  prefers  to  sustain 
his  temporal  holiness  with  the  diabolical  alliance 
of  kings,  than  to  be  crowned  in  heaven  by  the 
hand  of  Jesus  :  and  now  he  is  silent  as  a  convict 
before  the  judges.  LORENZO. 


TO  CHARLES. 

Missolonghi. 

La  nature  appelle  en  vain  a  elle  le  reste  des  hommes  ;  cha-^ 
cun  d'eux  se  fait  d'elle  une  image  qu'  il  revet  de  ses  propres 
passions.  II  poursuit,  toute  sa  vie,  ce  vain  fantome  qui 
1'egare,  et  it  se  plaint  ensuite  au  ciel  de  1'erreur  qu'  il  s'est 
formee  lui  meme,  Paul  et  Virginie. 

From  my  window  I  see  the  Turks  surrounding 
the  city  of  the  most  brave  Greeks.  Will  men  al 
ways  be  in  contradiction  with  themselves  1  Be 
hold,  Charles,  within  the  walls  of  this  city,  men 
struggling  against  tyranny,  and  a  greater  number 
without  ready  to  slay  the  former,  because  they  took 
arms  to  defend  their  own  rights.  And  for  whom 
are  those  Turks  now  fighting  against  us  ?  For  the 


LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA.  15 

Sultan  !  for  a  man  swimming  in  a  haram  of  plea 
sures  :  for  a  man  who  shuts  up  their  daughters  in 
golden  rooms,  because  they  were  the  prettiest  of 
the  country  :  and  after  having  shed  their  blood  on 
the  field,  they  present  willingly  their  heads  to  the 
executioner,  if  the  freak  should  pass  through  their 
master's  brain  of  seeing  their  heads  on  the  ground. 
And  do  you  believe,  Charles,  they  would  be  so  blind, 
if  they  were  not  under  the  creed  of  Mahomet  I  So 
Lucretius — 

"  Bantum  religio  potuit  suadere  malorum." 

Write  to  my  mother  to  tell  my  sister  Carlotta, 
not  to  be  alarmed  about  my  situation.  From  the 
very  moment  that  we,  poor  creatures  of  clay, 
breathe  the  breath  of  life,  we  are  doomed  to  make 
the  first  step  towards  the  Occident,  among  a  thous 
and  dangers,  which  very  often  put  an  end  to  us 
before  the  short  period  of  75  years  of  age.  And, 
does  this  life  of  calamities  deserve  an  attachment? 
My  life  is  nothing  else  but  a  little  spark,  losing  it 
self  in  infinity  of  atoms  ;  and  when  the  molecules 
will  be  dissipated,  it  shall  be  the  same  as  it  was, 
obscurity  around  its  little  circle.  Before  the  end 
of  it,  I  am  told,  by  my  dear  father,  to  act  with  ho 
nor  and  integrity  towards  the  sufferers  :  I  feel  his 
own  soul  in  my  heart :  and  if  I  have  a  son,  I  would 
teach  him  the  same  principles  :  liberty,  or  death. 
While  my  soul  animates  this  frame,  I  will  act  ac 
cording  to  my  own  reason :  nothing  is  more 
painful  for  me  than  when  I  am  in  contradiction 
with  myself.  Nobody,  I  think,  can  have  more 


16  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

sibility  than  my  sister ;  and  I  tremble  for  her  healths- 
she  is  so  delicate — my  tears  drop  on  this  paper !  I 
cannot  proceed  writing  about  her.  Tell  my 
sisters  I  am  cheerful  in  danger,  and  thoughtful  in 
prosperity  :  and  if  I  have  any  thing  dear  on  earth, 
and  which  attaches  me  to  this  existence,  it  is  know 
ing  I  am  the  object  of  the  thought  of  our  family  ? 
and  the  brother  of  my  dear  Carlotta. 

LORENZO. 


TO  CHARLES. 

Missolonghi. 

J'erre  maintenarit  sans  patrie.  Quand  je  ne  serai  plus, 
aucim  ami  ne  mettra  un  peu  d'herbe  sur  mon  corps  pour  le  gar- 
antir  des  mouches.  Le  corps  d'un  etranger  malheureux  n'in- 
teresse  personne.  Chateaubriand. 

Greece  is  swimming  in  her  sacred  blood  ;  and 
I  have  now  very  little  hope  of  seeing  her  free. 
These  annals  deserve  another  Tacitus.     Walking 
one  day  in  the  environs  of  Geneva,  I  met  a  Greek, 
with  whom  I  proceeded  towards  Saleve.  The  poor 
old  man  cried  like  a  child  in  relating  his  misfor 
tunes.     If  in  five  months  he  did  not  pay  a  debt  of 
two  thousand  livres  to  a  Turk,  this  believer  in  Ma 
homet  would  become  the  master  of  his  wife  and 
children  ;  and  his  daughters  obliged  to  marry  him. 
They  were  at  that  time  in  his  possession.     The 
people  of  that  country  were  raising  a  subscription 
for  the  poor  Greek.     May  it  please  God  to  give  a 
perpetual  enjoyment  of  liberty  to  the  nation  of  Tell. 


LOHENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  17 


And  .why  do  n-A  all  ii&^'ojs  sh«ike  ht»nds  Tvith 
each  other,  and  Crush  to  death  tiie  lew  tyrants  of 
this  planet  1  Shall  we  always  be  obliged  to  ex 
claim  with  Campbell  — 

"Shall  crimes  and  tyrants  cease  but  with  the  world?" 

LORENZO. 


TO  CHARLES. 

Missolonghi: 

Ainsi,  quand  Galilee  accuse"  de  genie, 

Subit  d'une  prison  1'illustre  ignominie, 

Les  juges,  qu'a  son  joug  1'ignorance  attachait 

Disaient;  la  terre  est  fixe...et  la  terre  marchait. 

Bigndri. 

It  is  not  to  one  whose  idol  is  money ;  it  is  not 
to  one  who  believes  he  has  reached  the  top  of  rea 
son  by  having  become  insensible  to  every  thing ; 
it  is  not  to  him  whose  friendship  grows  cold  to 
wards  his  friend  when  he  knows  his  fortune  has 
been  lost,  I  am  now  writing  this  letter ;  not  to  an  in 
dividual  who  feels  no  interest  but  towards  his  re 
lations  or  happy  friends,  without  giving  a  look  of 
compassion  on  misfortune,  from  whom  they  have 
no  hope  of  reward.  I  write  to  you,  dear  Charles, 
whose  country  is  the  globe,  because  every  where 
it  is  inhabited  by  suffering  beings  :  to  you,  whose 
religion  is  neither  a  hypocritical  dress  of  vices, 
nor  an  intolerable  ignorance  and  superstition. 
Wearied  of  being  confined  within  these  walls  of 

Missolonghi,  I  perused  to-day  several  books  which 
3 


18  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

came  to  my  hand ;  and  passing  so  my  time  with- 
those  men,  from  whom  we  learn  to  become 
better,  I  cried  like  a  child  in  reading  the  mis 
fortunes  of  their  lives. 

"  N'a-t-il  pas  expie  par  trois  ans  de  prison 
L'inexcusable  tort  d'avoir  trop  tot  raison  ? " 

The  selfishness  of  thousands  and  thousands  of 
tyrants,  is  not  sufficient  to  degrade  humanity,  when 
we  think  that  a  Socrates  and  an  Aristides  were 
men  too.  When  we  see  Mutius  Scaevola  putting 
his  right  hand  in  the  fire  without  manifesting  the 
least  symptom  of  pain  in  his  countenance,  we  feel 
ourselves  dignified.  When  I  cast  my  eyes  on  the 
times  which  are  passed,  I  feel  for  those  geniuses 
who  consumed  their  lives  for  the  improvement  of 
an  ungrateful  society  who  often  committed  them 

into  prison,  or  left  them  dying  on  the  straw 

LORENZO. 

The  heroes  of  Missolonghi,  seeing  the  impossi 
bility  of  defending  their  post,  in  blowing  up  the  city 
buried  themselves  with  a  greater  number  of  Turks. 
Lorenzo  had  been  one  of  the  few  spared  from  that 
destruction:  he  went  under  another  Greek  ban 
ner,  and  fought  during  all  the  campaign,  in  which 
he  had  been  wounded  once  in  the  left  arm  by  a 
ball,  and  a  second  time  in  the  left  thumb  by  the 
hanger  of  a  Turk,  whom,  after  a  long  struggle,  Lo 
renzo  took  prisoner.  But  the  despotical  cabinet  of 
Europe  having  acted  in  a  manner  unworthy  the 
sons  of  Themistocles  and  Leonidas,  he  went  back€ 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  19 

into  Switzerland,  Knowing  very  little  of  the  agi 
tated  life  of  our  hero  from  the  time  of  the  insur 
rection  in  Italy,  which  happened  in  the  year  1821, 
to  the  epoch  he  came  back  to  Lausanne,  in  which 
country  resided  a  great  many  Italian  emigrants, 
Whom,  whilst  Lorenzo  was  in  Greece,  the  govern- 

mont  of  Switzerland  had  been  forced  to  send  away 

. , 

by  order  of  thedespotical  powers  surrounding  that 
Republic,  we  shall  only  transcribe  the  *  following 
letters,  written  from  the  Cantons  of  Vaud  and  Ge 
neva. 

TO  CHARLES. 

Lausanne. 

II  n'etait  pas  difficile  de  voirque,  s'il  est  impossible  que  dans 
la  societe  tous  les  individus  qui  la  cornposent  aient  le  meme 
degre  de  puissance  et  de  ridieeses,  il  est  pourtant  juste  que 
tous  jouissent  dans  la  meme  proportion  de  la  protection  de  la 
loi  civile,  ce  a  quoi  tendait  effectivement  1'esprit  des  lois  to 
rn  aines.  Botta. 

I  believe  the  elected  souls  do  not  enjoy  more 
pleasure  than  I  do  every  morning  in  beholding  a 
cloudless  sky.  The  solitude  in  which  now  I  live 
is  for  me  an  Elysium.  I  will  change  that  uncul 
tivated  land  on  the  mountain,  into  n  delightful 
Eden  ;  I  shall  see  the  branches  of  those  trees  I 
have  planted,  loaded  with  fruit ;  and  thou,  dear 
Charles,  when  wearied  of  thy  society,  wilt  corne 
to  pour  all  thy  cares  into  my  bosom,  I  shall  shew 
thee  from  under  the  beech-tree,  which  is  on  the  top 
of  the  hill,  this  fine  country.  The  dinners  I  take 
with  Bran,  under  the  cool  bower,  are  delightful  5 
thou  shouldst  be  very  much  pleased  in  seeing  thL- 


OHA1A9B 


ejctraordioary  dog  !  'ii  i*  u  pre<  i  •  of  Otmalsskit, 
a  young  lady  from  thy  country....  Here,  I  do  not  see 
the  rich  paying  with  usury  the  poor  who  served 
him  with  the  sweat  of  his  brow.  Here,  I  do  not 
see  a  beauty,  the  slave  of  superfluities  :  thou  might- 
est  have  all  the  virtues  of  Socrates,  the  strength  of 
Hercules,  and  the  beauty  of  Ganymedes  ;  if  thou 
art  not  rich,  thou  wilt  be  loved  by  such  a  woman, 
as  if  thou  wert  an  Esop  without  his  wit. 

I  do  not  know  whether  it  is  in  being  out  of  my 
father's  house,  or  my  strange  position  in  a  society 
I  dislike  ;  but  when  I  was  in  the  most  miserable 
situation,  in  walking  through  a  crowd  of  people, 
every  body  seemed  to  me  without  sentiment.... 

A  superstitious  veneration  for  Kings,  spoils  our 
understanding.  Behold  that  nation  loving  the  son 
of  Alexander  for  no  other  reason  than  that  of  being 
the  son  of  the  conqueror  of  the  world.  Ulysses 
threw  Astyanax  from  the  tower,  fearing  the  people 
might  put  him  on  the  throne  of  his  ancestors. 
History  teaches  us  the  people  had  always  been 
just  when  the  leaders  were  so  ;  and  when  they  had 
committed  faults,  it  was  from  the  influence  of  a 
deceitful  man  who  gilded  badlogic  with  eloquence. 
So  that,  sometimes,  nations  are  fighting  not  for 
their  common  rights,  they  shed  their  blood  to  put 
on  the  throne  the  son  of  their  Ring,  who,  as  the 
story  relates,  had  not  onjy  degenerated  from  his 
father's  virtues,  but  too  often  became  their  most 
shocking  tyrant.  It  seems  that  men  like  to  kiss 
the  hand  which  strikes  thorn  ;  and  afterwards  they 
become  so  fond  of  their  master,  that  they  try  to 


LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA.  21 

demonstrate,  that  man  is  not  born  to  live  under 
a  free  constitution ;  and  wishing  to  cover  their 
shame,  they  endeavor  to  shew  defects  among  Re 
publics,  whilst  they  are  unaware  their  servitude  so 
dimmed  their  eyes  that  they  cannot  see  the  eagle's 
flight. 

Here  I  am  neither  obliged  to  speak  haughtily 
to  the  clown,  nor  affectionately  to  those  of  exalted 
birth.  I  may  now  linger  on  objects  agreeable  to 
me,  without  losing  time  in  insignificant  attentions 
and  ceremonies  which  people  bestow  one  upon 
another.  If  sad,  the  cheerfulness  of  others  seems 
an  insult  to  you ;  and  if  cheerful,  you  incur  the 
disgust  of  being  laughed  at,  by  a  concealed  rival, 
who  is  waiting  the  moment  of  your  goodness,  ec 
centricity,  or  inattention,  to  injure  you. 

I  find  among  animals  something  more  than  that 
which  divines  call  a  mere  natural  instinct  to  avoid 
pains  and  death.  The  animal  feels  something 
more  than  self  love.  We  see  men  so  much  attach 
ed  to  the  study  of  philosophy,  becoming  insensible 
to  every  thing  that  recoils  from  reason.  Codrus, 
Curtius,  Decius,  and  Peter  Micca  going  willingly 
to  certain  death,  the  love  of  their  country  being 
superior  to  the  love  of  themselves  :  a  lover  for  his 
mistress,  and  a  mother  for  her  child :  so  that,  we 
see  this  noble  feeling  more  or  less  among  animals 
too.  Yesterday  seeing  a  nest  in  a  bush,  and  being 
anxious  to  know  if  the  little  ones  would  take  any 
crumbs  from  my  hand,  I  approached  them,  when 
suddenly  their  mother  flew  against  my  face,  and 
with  cries  of  lamentation  pecked  me  with  the  bra- 


22  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

very  ofa  lion.  I  retired  from  that  awful  place  with 
veneration.  I  brought  to-day  something  for  them 
to  eat  to  the  foot  of  that  sacred  bush  :  and  I  will 
do  it  hereafter,  until  I  shall  hear  the  cheerful  notes 
of  her  reconciliation. 

Take  from  man  the  love  of  glory,  humanity  is 
nothing  but  idle  clay  moving  about,  without  pur 
pose.  The  construction  of  this  mysterious  uni 
verse  forces  us  to  think  there  is  a  Divinity  beyond 
our  reach,  inspiring  us  continually  with  the  love  of 
glory.  It  makes  us  poets  or  historians  to  eternize 
the  deeds  of  our  predecessors.  Hence  the  songs 
of  the  country  inspire  those  hearts  susceptible  of 
love  with  a  desire  to  signalize  themselves,  by  imi 
tating  their  fathers'  virtues  :  the  love  of  ourselves 
creates  pictures  whence  to  represent,  either  the 
glorious  battles  of  a  generous  captain,  or  the  hap 
py  fields  where  industry  had  caused  to  bloom  a 
happy  age.  What  more?  The  love  of  ourselves 
creates  laws,  without  which  society  would  be  a 
forest  of  tigresses.  LORENZO. 

Between  the  above  letter  and  the  folio  wing,  there 
is  an  interval  of  about  a  year,  in  which  we  know 
nothing  of  him  but  from  rumor.  We  heard  the 
aristocratical  party  of  that  country,  when  speak 
ing  about  Lorenzo,  describing  him  with  malicious 
colors,  whilst  the  poor  were  giving  blessings  to  the 
whimsical,  (so  he  was  epitheted,)  shy,  brave,  and 
generous  Italian  gentleman  who  resided  at  the 
foot  of  Jura.  All  we  know  with  certainty,  is,  that 
Mr.  Ethelbert,  an  English  gentleman,  having  tra- 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  23 

Celled  with  his  wife  Elizabeth  and  daughter  Oona- 
laska  through  France  and  Italy,  stopped  in  Gene 
va  for  a  long  while,  and  there  became  acquaint 
ed  with  Lorenzo,  who  at  that  time  taught  Greek, 
Latin,  French,  and  Italian.  Oonalaska  became 
one  of  his  pupils,  and  her  father  and  mother  were 
so  pleased  with  Lorenzo's  society,  that  they  loved 
him  as  a  son ;  so  that,  this  English  family  except- 
ed,  our  hero  lived  in  seclusion  from  other  society, 
meditating  on  the  writings  of  Plato  and  Rousseau. 

TO  GARNER!.- 

Canton  de  Vaud. 

jfe  le  lisais  partout  ce  norin  rempli  de  charmes, 

Et  je  le  relisais,  et je  versais  des  larmes. 

D'un  eloge  enchanteiir  toujours  environne, 

A  mes  yeux  eblouis  il  s'offrait  couronne. 

Je  Fecrivais...bient6t  je  n'osais  plus  Fecrire, 

Et  mon  timide  amour  se  changeait  en  sourire. 

II  me  cherchait  la  nuit,  il  bergait  mon  sommeil ; 

II  resonnait  encore  autour  de  mon  reveil : 

II  errait  dans  mon  souffle,  et  lorsque  je  soupire 

C'est  lui  qui  me  caresse  et  que  mon  coeur  respire. 

Mad.  Desbordes. 

The  winter  is  passed  :  the  spring  smiles  every 
where.  Few  books,  and  the  warbling  of  birds, 
give  me  a  charming  existence.  Yesterday  morn 
ing  I  rowed  on  the  Leman  Lake  with  a  fisherman. 
In  going  to  my  residence,  which  lies  on  the  shore, 
the  twilight  was  reflecting  on  the  steady  water,  arid 
the  fine  tale  of  Rousseau  was  passing  through  my 
imagination  with  lively  colors:  but  Oonalaska 
was  not  at  my  side !  Garneri,  in  reading  her  name, 


24  LOBSNZO  AND  CON  ALASKA. 

do  you  see,  like  lire,  every  thiog  smiling  arotind 
you  I  The  love  I  feel  fcr  Ooaalaska  has  changed 
this  earth  into  a  garden  of  heaven. 

LORENZO. 


TO  LORENZO. 

Lausanne . 

Toi  c^ui  rri'aimas  peut-etre,  ou  dont  1'art  seducteur 
Par  1'ombre  de  1'amour  trompa  du  moins  mon  coeur! 
Qu'  irnporte  que  le  tien  ne  fut  qu'un  doux  mensonge  ? 
Je  fus  heureux  par  toi ;  tout  bonheur  est  un  songe  ! 

Lamartine. 

Emma  wrote  to  me.  It  is  not  a  love-letter  ; 
she  pities  my  situation,  and  tells  me  she  has  found 
a  way  by  which  I  can  get,  with  my  work,  a  daily 
support.  However,  although  she  tells  me  I  am 
very  proud  because  I  did  not  receive  her  money, 
it  is  a  kind  letter  ;  and  I  may  say  with  the  "  Let- 
tres  d'une  Peruvienne,  '  Le  poids  de  la  reconnois- 
sance  est  bieri  leger  quand  on  ne  le  rec^oit  que  des 
mains  de  la  vertir  ":  so  that,  with  her  magic  wri 
ting  folded  on  my  bosom,  the  last  night  I  was  con 
templating  from  my  window  the  firmament  of 
myriads  of  other  solar  systems.  Mont  Blanc  was 
reflecting  from  the  Leman,  still  as  a  mirror,  the 
silver  brightness  of  the  moon:  a  river  of  thoughts 
was  passing  through  my  mind,  when,  hearing  the 
clock  strike  four  in  the  morning,  I  went  to  bed. 
Those  who  never  enjoyed  the  pleasure  of  a  smil 
ing  landscape,  who  never  felt  the  heavenly  senti 
ment  at  the  idea  of  being  beloved, -did  never  exist. 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA-  25 

Our  best  enjoyments  are  those  created  by  our 
imagination ;  and  if  not  so,  Lorenzo,  I  should  be 
unhappy.  Reason,  which  makes  us  patient  chil 
dren  of  our  sufferings,  cannot  mitigate  the  con 
scious  sentiment  of  being  unnoticed  by  the  object 
of  our  love.  Although  dragged  like  me  from  our 
country,  Lorenzo,  you  are  now  not  so  unhappy  as 
I :  an  angel  leads  you  by  the  hand,  feeling  for  you 
as  Heloise  felt  for  Abeillard:  "Nihil  unquam, 
Deus  scit,  in  te  requisivi :  te  pure,  non  tua  concu- 
piscens.  Non  matrimonii  fcedera,  non  dotes  ali- 
quas  expectavi,  nou  denique  meas  voluptates,  aut 
voluntates,  sed  tuas  sicut  ipse  nosti,  adimplere 
studui,"  So,  your  fair  Oonalaska.  I  am,  Loren 
zo,  destitute  of  all  your  gifts  of  nature,  and  I  love 
Emma  without  hope,  since  nature  has  given  me  a 
soul  full  of  sensibility  in  a  frame  incapable  to  in 
spire  in  her  a  sentiment  of  love  for  me ;  and  this 
earth  without  love,  can  it  be  any  thing  else  than 
a  vast  and  cold  desert  of  warlike  ravens  t 

GARNERI. 

Garneri  had  so  delicate  a  soul,  that  his  corpo 
ral  qualities  were  imperfect :  he  was  one  of  the 
greatest  of  moralists  :  if  he  had  not  been  obliged 
to  leave  his  country  for  politics,  Italy  would  have 
had  another  Franklin  in  him.  Being  daily  oblig 
ed  to  work  for  his  existence,  he  lost  the  best  part 
of  his  time  in  writing  ciphers  on  a  merchant's 
book  ;  but,  having  portrayed  Emma  in  such  live 
ly  colors,  afterwards  he  was  reputed  one  of  the  best 
limners  of  the  country,  and  gained  a  great  deal  of 


26  LORENZO  AND  OONAJLASKA. 

money.  One  day,  being  occupied  on  like  business? 
a  boy  entered  his  room,  asking  him  a  thousand  par 
dons  for  having  insulted  him  the  day  before  on  the 
street  by  asking  him  if  he  would  sell  his  hump. 

"You  did  not  notice  me,"  said  the  boy ;  "it  seem 
ed,  sir,  you  were  pre-occupied  with  some  serious 
thoughts;  and  when  I  reached  home,  I  heard  you 
had  just  come  from  our  house,  where  you  had  giv 
en  money  to  my  father,  whom  you  saw  surrounded 
by  my  little  brothers  and  sisters  in  want." 

TO  LORENZO. 

Bern. 

God  is  thy  law,  thou  mine  :  to  know  no  more 
Is  woman's  happiest  knowledge,  and  her  praise. 
With  thee  conversing,  I  forget  all  time, 
All  seasons,  and  their  change:  all  please  alike. 

Milton. 

We  have  been  in  several  parts  of  Switzerland: 
if  I  were  to  write  you  the  description  of  every 
place  which  pleased  me,  I  could  not  be  able  to  finish 
this  letter  in  a  Week.  When  we  shall  have  return 
ed  to  Geneva,  I  will  have  the  pleasure  to  tell  you 
every  thing.  I  sat  down  on  the  very  place  where 
the  son  of  William  Tell  wras  put  with  an  apple  on 
his  h  ead  by  order  of  Gessler.  Write  for  me  a  son 
net  in  your  fine  language  on  this  subject:  I  want 
some  poetical  composition  from  you.  I  found  in 
this  city  a  friend  of  yours,  who  gave  rne  some  of 
your  French  verses.  He  does  not  know  he  has 
given  me  what  I  most  value  on  earth. 


fcORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA.  27 

My  father  and  mother  send  their  love  to  their 
son  Lorenzo.  Good-by,  my  dear  brother :  I  long 
for  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  in  Geneva  in  a  short 
time.  OONALASRA. 


TO  OONALASKA. 

Geneva. 

•    As  I  bent  down  to  look,  just  opposite 
A  shape  within  the  watery  gleam  appear'd, 
Bending  to  look  on  me  :  I  started  back  ; 
It  started  back  :  bat  pleased  I  soon  return'd ; 
Pleased  it  return'd  as  soon  with  answering  looks 
Of  sympathy  and  love  :  there  I  had  fix'd 
Mine  eyes  till  now,  and  pined  with  vain  desire, 
Had  not  a  voice  thus  warn'd  me.  Milton. 

Since  you  left  Geneva,  every  pleasure  is  gone 
from  me.  I  began  a  thousand  things,  and  I  fin 
ished  none.  Bran,  the  only  companion  of  my  so 
litude,  seems  to  partake  my  despondency.  A  few 
nights  ago,  I  caught  the  man  who  stole  a  great 
many  flowers  from  your  garden  :  he  has  been  so 
much  frightened,  that  I  believe  his  promise  to  come 
no  more. 

GUGLIELMO  TELL. 

Sonetto. 

Colui  che  veggio  di  soldati  cihto, 

Si :  Gessler  egli  e  desso  :  il  dice  il  volto 

Ebro  di  gioia  nel  veder  lo  stolto 

Ahi!  propolo  tremante  in  lacci  avvinto. 

Guglielmo  e  quegli :  mira  1'occhio  tinto 


28  LOBENZO  ANI>  OON ALASKA, 

D'alto  furor  che  serba  in  cor  ravvolta. 
Ma  qtiel  fanciul  dal  biondo  crine  incoltcv 
Or  or  cader  vedro  nel  sangue  estinto  1 

Slilla  cade  sull'arco!  al  punto  e  fiso  : 
D'orror  silenzio  regna  universale, 
E  colle  mani  ognun  nasconde  il  viso. 

Mentr'esce  dalla  mischia  irato  un  uomo 
Per  afferrar  del  padre  il  crudo  strale 
Fiscbia,  la  fronte  lambe,  invola  il  porno. 

LORENZO, 


TO  LORENZO. 

Bern. 

Notre  cceur  est  un  instrument  incomplet,  une  lyre  oft  il 
manque  de  cordes,  et  ou  nous  sommes  forces  de  rendre  les 
accens  de  la  joie  sur  le  ton  consacre  aux  soupirs. — Falkland. 

A  beart  and  feelings  in  perfect  unison  with  ours, 
are  most  difficult  to  be  met  with.  Education  and 
custom  oblige  us  to  suppress  natural  feeling,  and 
appear  in  the  world  the  thing  we  are  not ;  and,  if 
by  chance,  supposing  ourselves  friends,  nature  as 
serting  her  rights,  we  shew  ourselves  as  we  are 
and  as  we  ought  to  be,  malice  and  envy  immedi 
ately  set  to  work  to  make  us  every  thing  we  are 
not:  so  defame  that  merit  which  they  cannot  help 
inwardly  acknowledging,  until  disgusted  with  the 
world,  and  its  littleness,  we  retire  within  ourselves, 
andlook  upon  it  with  contempt.  Miserable  is  that 
being  whose  heart  is  formed  with  every  kind  feel- 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA,  29 

ing  towards  his  fellow-creatures ;  yet,  looks  around 
in  vain  for  one  congenial  mind,  into  whose  bosom  it 
may  pour  the  rich  treasure  of  its  affection :  it  fears 
to  love,  lest  it  meets  with  coldness  and  contempt  s 
it  fears  to  place  confidence,  lest  it  be  betrayed  : 
thus,  the  heart  which  possesses  every  requisite  to 
make  others  happy,  cannot  be  so  in  itself:  its  best 
feelings  are  chilled,  its  best  affections  are  nipped 
in  the  bud :  thus  the  mind,  having  no  external  ob 
ject  on  which  it  can  repose  itself,  is  obliged  to  have 
recourse  to  those  intellectual  pursuits,  which  can 
then  alone  render  life  desirable,  by  diverting  its 
thoughts  from  its  unoccupied  feelings.  But,  there 
are  moments,  when  even  these  pursuits,  delightful 
as  they  may  be,  are  not  all-sufficient. 

If,  in  our  pilgrimage  through  life,  we  chance  to 
find  one  being  who  seems  capable  of  understand 
ing  us,  who  thinks  and  feels  as  we  do,  to  whom  it 
is  not  necessary  to  explain  our  feelings,  with  what 
pleasure  do  we  look  on,  and  converse  with  that 
being.  The  soul  seems  to  have  formed  its  better 
half,  unto  which  it  expands  with  delight ;  all  is  in 
stantly  seen  through  another  medium  ;  to  the 
heartlessness  of  the  world  we  are  no  longer  sensi 
ble  ;  our  pains  are  mitigated,  and  our  pleasures 
heightened. 

I  want  a  true  definition  of  the  word  society, 
Lorenzo :  I  believe  that  we  abuse  such  a  heavenly 
word,  since  we  call  society  a  great  many  persons 
crowded  in  a  room,  whilst  you  see  among  them 
nothing  but  feelings  of  self-interest :  it  seems  to 
me  that  the  society  of  snow-birds  or  geese  are 


30  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

more  deserving  than  ours,  though  we  call  ourselves 
reasonable  creatures. 

I  read  in  the  newspapers  an  account  of  your 
emigrate  friend  Santa-Rosa.  I  feel  a  great  deal 
for  him,  whom  I  saw  several  times  in  Lausanne 
with  others  of  your  countrymen.  Write  for  me 
a  sonnet  on  his  departure  for  Greece.  It  might 
be,  as  you  say,  it  is  my  friendship  which  makes  me 
feel  your  verses  ;  but  since  for  me  nothing  is  su 
perior,  why  will  you  not  give  me  such  enjoyment'? 

OONALASKA. 


TO  OONALASKA. 

Geneva. 

There  is  a  certain  string  which,  if  properly  struck,  the  human 
heart  is  made  to  answer.  Blair. 

Thy  friendship  is  a  gift  which  heaven  sent  on 
earth  to  fill  me  with  love  to  men.  Thy  letter, 
Oonalaska,  inspires  me  with  a  tenderness  which 
is  no  stranger  to  my  heart:  the  idea  that  thou 
thinkest  of  me,  makes  dear  my  life,  mankind  seems 
to  partake  of  thy  angelic  feeling,  and  my  soul  re 
joices. 

You  ask  me  to  define  society  1  Examine  your 
heart,  Oonalaska,  and  you  will  find  a  plain  expla 
nation  of  it.  The  following  lines  of  the  Spectator 
will  give  you  a  sufficient  idea  of  a  good  being's  in 
fluence  over  society :  "He  does  not  seem,"  says 
he,  "to  contribute  any  thing  to  the  mirth  of  the 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  31 

company ;  and  yet,  upon  reflection,  you  find  it  all 
happened  by  his  being  there."  Excuse  my  praise ; 
but,-  how  can  I  write  to  you  without  thinking  of 
your  qualities  ?  Examine  your  heart  I  say,  and 
you  will  find  you  are  the  soul  of  society.  It  is  not 
your  fair  presence  which  animates  all  who  sur 
round  you :  it  would  be  a  faint  quality  without  the 
goodness  of  your  heart  which  shines  around  your 
angelic  person.  Where  is  the  man  or  woman  who 
does  not  desire  to  become  as  kind  as  you  I  Every 
person  in  the  circle  of  your  society  feels  an  en 
couragement  to  become  better  ;  and  as  they  can 
not  do  otherwise  than  love  you,  in  the  very  mo 
ment  you  are  their  superior,  they  enjoy  the  agree 
able  sentiment  of  seeing  you  wishing  to  be  no  more 
than  their  equal.  A  sentiment  quite  contrary  to 
that  vulgar  countenance  of  a  great  many  smiling, 
conceited,  coquettes  or  coxcombs,  who,  not  know 
ing  how  to  do  better,  are  continually  striving  to 
show  superiority  over  all  those  who  surround  them. 
But,  whilst  they  fatigue  their  society,  they  are  do 
ing  nothing  but  to  tire  themselves  ;  and,  when  get 
ting  home,  believing  to  have  been  the  soul  of  the 
evening  party,  they  pass  the  next  day  in  criticising 
those  who  could  not  take  a  part  in  such  dandy 
fastidiousnesses. 

Where  are  those  times  in  which  men  did  not 
clog  the  most  noble  feeling  with  which  nature  gift 
ed  humanity  I  Unhappy  race  !  Ye  dance  at  the 
clinking  of  your  chains.  But  when,  ambitious  man, 
didst  thou  feel  in  thy  heart  a  real  pleasure  amidst 


82  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

thy  noisy  fineries  1     Thou  canst  not  enjoy  the  love 
for  which  nature  created  us. 

Tanto  m'aggrada  il  tuo  comandamento, 

Che  1'ubbidir,  se  gia  fosse,  m'  e  tardi.         Dante. 

LA  PARTENZA  DI  SANTA-RoSA  PER  LA  GRECIA, 

Sonetto. 

Gli  occhi  all'  Italia  intent!  avea  il  guerriero, 
E  sulla  fronte  stavagli  Ip  sdegno  ; 
II  cuore  gli  rodeva  il  destin  fero, 
E  di  Nettuno  il  pin  solcavail  regno. 

Un  Genio  si  vedea  di  pianto  pregno 
Volare  intorno  lo  stendardo  nero, 
Che,  dal  vento  agitato,  dava  il  segno 
La  guerra  fa  11  Sultano  al  Dio-vero. 

L'ombre  di  Machiavelli,  Alfieri  e  Dante 
Scendean  accompagnate  da  Bellona, 
E  Liberta  1'ali  spiegava  innante. 

Portavan,  le  tre  destre  che  vergaro 
Gli  uniani  dritti,  laurea  corona, 
E  a  Santa-Rosa  in  capo  la  posaro. 

It  is  with  pleasure,  Oonalaska,  I  heard  sortie 
gentlemen  of  Geneva  wishing  to  blot  out  capi 
tal  penalty  from  human  laws.  We  have  only  to 
read  history,  and  we  shall  find  the  increasing  of 
pains  had  only  augmented  crimes  when  the  legis 
lators  did  so,  without  providing  for  the  poor  wretch 
es  upon  whom  society  had  turned  the  back.  Let 
us  give  to  every  body  the  means  of  sustaining  them 
selves,  and  then,  like  Alfred  of  England,  we  shall 
have  the  satisfaction  of  hanging  golden  bracelets 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  33 

on  public  roads,  with  the  certainty  that  nobody 
would  touch  them.  I  transcribe  a  sonnet  I  wrote 
on  this  subject. 

SULL?  ABBOLIZIONE  DELLA  PENA  DI  MORTE. 

Sonetto. 

Apri  del  santuario  omai  le  porte ; 
Sorge  una  legge  degna  di  Solone, 
Temi,  dai  re  negletta ;  in  bando  pone 
Dell'  uomo  ctegradato  orribil  morte. 

Ma  se  a  virtude  ride  arnica  sorte, 
Ove  s'inalzi  un  giovane  Scipione, 
Ognuno  s'incoraggi  a  bella  azione, 
Si  frangan  di  miseria  le  ritorte  : 

Ove  lo  merto  personal  s'onori, 

E  non  di  nobil  padre  infame  figlio  ; 
Ove  il  lusso  le  vergini  non  sfiori : 

La  religion  non  metta  iniquo  artiglio 
Di  Liberta  sui  cari,  sacri  allori, 
Diva,  chi,  mertera  lo  tuo  cipiglio  1 

LORENZO, 


TO  LORENZO. 

Neufchatcl. 

Last  night  I  went  to  a  ball,  at  which,  instead  of 
enjoying  the  society  of  each  other,  I  found  a  great 
many  strangers  wanting  only  to  show  a  conscious 
ness  of  superiority  over  their  fellow  beings.  It 
would  seem  that  such  aristocratic  creatures  ga 


Sf4  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

into  society  with  no  other  purpose  than  as  candi 
dates  for  king  and  queen,  to  secure  the  favor  of 
their  inferiors.  I  would  not  give  an  hour  of  your 
society,  Lorenzo,  for  all  the  balls  of  the  universe. 
In  the  house  we  are  at  present,  we  have  a  compa 
ny  congenial  to  me.  In  a  few  days  we  shall  be  in 
Geneva,  where  I  intend  "  educare  la  famiglia  del 
fiori,"  which  you  have  protected  from  the  rapacity 
of  the  nocturnal  man. 

OONALASKA. 


TO  OONALASKA. 

Geneva, 

Turn  from  the  glitt'ring  bribe  thy  scornful  eye, 
Nor  sell  for  gold,  what  gold  could  never  buy, 
The  peaceful  slumber,  self  approving  day, 
Unsullied  fame,  and  conscience  ever  gay. 

Johnson, 

ODE. 

Lascia  le  danze,  ingenua, 

Figlia  de  la  bellezza  ; 

Lascia  il  rumor  le  veglie 

Che  il  mondo  tanto  apprezza* 
Aspersi  d'amarissime 

Pene  son  tai  contend  : 

Restan,  passati,  deboli, 

Vani  sovvenimenti. 
Merta  piaceri  stabili 

II  tuo  ben  fatto  cuore  : 

Da  tuoi  grand'occhi  1'anirna 

TJscire  vidi  fuore. 


LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA.        35 

D'ambrosia  e  in  un  di  nettare 

Sentii  1'aura  impregnata; 

Ed  oltre  1'alte  nuvole 

La  mia  fu  trasportata. 
Divo  placer  non  abita 

Sulla  terrestre  mole ; 

Lieve,  sublime  e  celere 

Yola  di  la  del  Sole. 
Lascia  il  teatro  insipido 

De'grami  tempi  nostri : 

Non  piii  sentir  altissimo 

Echeggiar  fa  suoi  chiostrL 
Le  sole  note  musiche 

Oman  pensier  snervati ; 

E  intanto  la  tirannide 

Beviam  de'sciagurati. 
Lascia  1'amaro  calice 

Che  1'uomo  porge  alPuomo : 

Tutti  quaggiii  contendonsi 

Delia  Discordia  il  pomo. 
Vieni  negli  amenissimi 

Carapi  de  la  Natura : 

La,  su  que'  colli  liberi, 

Spirar  un1  aura  pura. 
Su  rupi  solitarie 

Vivremo  la  contenti ; 

E  cangieransi  in  giubilo 

I  lunghi  miei  lamenti. 
Al  sorger  de'  crepuscoli 

Corro.  li  freschi  fiori 

In  cotnpagnia  de'zefiri, 

Di  Flora  e  degli  amorL 


86  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

E  mentre  i  sogni  aleggiano 
Dintorno  al  casto  letto, 
Alle  ttie  nari  eburnee 
Accostero  il  mazzetto. 

Ove  fragranza  diati 
Sogno  di  paradiso, 
Vedro  sul  labbro,  estatico, 
L'almo  tuo  bel  sorriso. 

Sorgi,  diro,  vivifica 
La  terra,  il  mare,  il  cielo  2 
Le  rose  appese  al  talamo 
Curvan  per  te  lo  stelo. 

Quindi  sui  campi  correre, 
Cinti  di  primavera ; 
Alzare  i  nostri  cantici 
Alia  stellata  sera : 

O  sotto  un  lauro  leggere 
I  pianti  di  Malvina, 
O  coll'  Ariosto  ridere 
Delia  rugosa  Alcina. 

AlFombra  di  que'  salici 
Mirar  del  rivo  Fonda  ; 
O  sul  lago  ceruleo 
Solcare  Paltra  sponda. 

E  mentre  il  giardin  educa 
Tua  mano  delicata, 
Coll'  incurvato  vomere 
Fendo  la  terra  grata. 

Sotto  la  fresca  pergola, 
Su  quel  ridente  prato, 
Ove  gli  uccelli  libransi, 
La,  pranzeremo  allato, 


LOBENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  87 

Eco  fara  mia  cetera 

Al  nobile  tuo  canto : 

Ti  narrerb  di  Tacito 

La  storia :  Achille  al  Xanto. 
La  morte  di  Temistocle 

Sgorgar  faratti  il  brio 

D'una  sublime  lagrima 

Che  render  a  in  mi  un  Dio. 
Cosi  passando  i  labili 

Giorni  di  rnorte  a  strida, 

Non  saran  mai  monotoni 

Se  la  virtu  ci  guida. 
L'uomo  di  senno  misero 

Senz'  immaginazione, 

La  chiama  vita  insipida 

Sol  dato  all'ambizione. 
Intento  negli  amabili 

Tuoi  occhi  indaghero 

Tutto  cio  che  desideri. 

Vieni,  t'adorero. 

LORENZO. 

Oonalaska  was  playing  on  the  harp,  when  Lo 
renzo  entered  her  room. 

"  Why  do  you  not  proceed,  Oonalaska." 

"  I  shall ;  but,  after  so  long  an  absence,  I  want 
to  tell  you  a  great  many  things." 

They  sat  down  near  a  window,  from  whence 
the  lake  of  Geneva  presented  a  beautiful  land 
scape. 

"How  fine  is  now  that  lake,  Lorenzo!" 

"  Very  much  so  " 


38  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

"  Do  you  see  the  steamboat  ?" 

"  I  see  it  reflected  in  your  eyes." 

She  smiled  and  blushed  ;  and  after  a  rapturous 
moment  of  interchanged  looks,  with  her  innocent 
manners,  Oonalaska  related  all  the  little  adven 
tures  of  their  voyage.  Afterward  she  took  the 
Vicar  of  Wakefield ;  and,  in  presenting  it  to  Lo 
renzo,  she  asked  if  he  had  ever  read  that  fine  tale." 

"  I  have,  Oonalaska ;  but  every  time  I  open  it, 
it  seems  always  new  to  me." 

"  Well,  Lorenzo,  read  it  now  for  me,  whilst  I  am 
sewing  this  handkerchief  for  my  father." 

He  read  ;  but  the  fine  descriptions  of  that  little 
book  could  not  prevent  our  reader  from  stopping, 
when  he  saw  a  tear  rolling  down  the  cheek  of 
Oonalaska. 

"Well,  Lorenzo,  to-morrow  we  W7ill  proceed 
from  this  touching  passage  :  for  the  moment  I  will 
fulfil  my  promise." 

She  took  her  harp,  and  with  an  expressive  voice, 
she  sung :  "  Di  piacer  mi  balza  il  cor." 

The  sunset  was  giving  his  last  ray  to  the  hori 
zon  of  the  lake  of  Geneva,  when  Lorenzo  took 
leave  of  Oonalaska.  In  going  home,  which  was 
about  two  miles  from  that  of  Mr.  Ethelbert,  the 
full  moon  was  enlightening  the  walk,  which  his 
lovely  thoughts  rendered  still  more  delightful;  and 
whilst  he  saw  no  obstacles  before  his  future  happi 
ness,  his  imagination  was  in  extacy.  But  did  the 
sky  ever  shine  a  long  time  for  a  worthy  man  of  this 
earth  t 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

TO  LORENZO. 


Geneva. 

Come,  Lorenzo,  and  vivify  all  nature  which  sur 
rounds  me.  You  request  me  to  scrutinize  your 
actions,  but  I  cannot  find  a  single  imperfection  in 
you  :  my  friendship  cannot  have  blinded  me,  since 
the  feeling  I  have  towards  you  is  grounded  upon 
the  knowledge  I  had  of  your  fine  qualities.  Oh  I 
teach  rne,  Lorenzo,  the  means  of  becoming  perfect ; 
every  defect  you  will  point  out  to  me,  will  confer 
the  greatest  favor  on  your  Oonalaska,  whose  only 
desire  is  to  become  the  worthy  friend  of  Lorenzo. 

Why,  Lorenzo,  does  it  happen  to  me,  that  very 
seldom  I  meet  with  people  not  wounding  my  feel 
ings  1 

OONALASKA, 


TO  OONALASKA. 

Nime* 

Heureux  qui,  s'eloignant  pendant  que  1'erreur  dure, 
Ernporte  dans  son  cceur  une  image  encore  pure ! 
Qui  peut,  dans  les  horreurs  de  son  triste  avenir, 
Nourircomme  un  flambeau  quelque  cher  souvenir, 
Et  ne  voit  pas  du  moins,  en  perdantce  qu'  il  aime, 
Cette  idole  qui  tombe  ou  qu'  il  brisa  lui  meme, 
D'un  bonheur  qui  n'est  plus}  etaler  les  debris 
Ou  I'etemel  remords  ranipe  aupres  du  mepris. 

Lamartine. 

Leave,  Oonalaska,  the  speech  of  imagination  : 
it  has  too  great  power  on  my  mind  when  it  comes 
from  you :  do  not  praise  my  good  qualities  if  you 


40  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA, 

find  any  in  me.  When  I  will  do  any  thing  deserv 
ing  your  approbation,  your  silence  will  be  enough  : 
but,  praises,  flowing  from  lips  so  dear,  may  raise 
my  vanity. 

When  we  step  aside  from  nature,  that  is  to  say, 
when  we  go  a  step  towards  society,  our  reason 
and  feeling  undergo  sufferings  at  every  moment. 
Example,  Oonalaska,  is  so  powerful,  that  when 
society  has  any  faults,  though  willing  to  become 
better,  we  are  forced  to  do  like  others,  lest  we 
should  run  the  chance  of  being  thought  singular. 
A  total  loneliness,  changes  us  into  savages ;  and 
our  sensibility,  in  a  short  time,  falls  into  suscepti 
bility.  So  Byron : 

"  Alone  I  could  not 

Nor  would  be  happy  :  but,  with  those  around  us, 
I  think  I  could  be  so." 

Man  is  the  only  creature  on  earth  worthy  of  so 
ciety  ;  still,  society  becomes  a  burthen  to  those, 
who  see  selfishness  destroying  even  the  enjoyments 
of  selfishness  itself.  Like  crowds  of  people,  who, 
with  eagerness  press  around  an  object  of  curiosi 
ty,  that  instead  of  making  a  large  circle,  throw 
themselves  one  upon  another  :  and  then,  not  only 
do  they  obstruct  the  view  of  those,  who  are  behind 
them ;  but  injure  themselves  by  intercepting  the 
light  from  the  object  of  their  curiosity.  So,  life  is 
nothing  but  the  anxiety  of  misers.  Whilst  nature 
can  impart  to  all  her  children  her  benefits  with  an 
incredible  liberality,  they  are  doing  nothing  else, 
than  losing  time  to  agglomerate  fortune  to  the  loss 
of  others. 


LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA.  41 

When  heaven  sends  any  philanthropist  on  this 
miserable  planet,  to  teach  us  we  are  the  sons  of  the 
Almighty,  such  a  virtuous  man  becomes  oftenerthe 
victim  of  envy,  because,  like  the  sun,  he  brings  to 
light  the  deeds  that  vice  covets  to  conceal  in  dark 
ness.  Posterity  may  put  him  on  the  altar  of  rea 
son;  but,  sometimes  history  is  unjust,  or  cannot 
produce  in  evidence  all  generous  actions  which 
too  often  are  stained  by  infernal  hypocrisy.  So 
Shakspear :  "  Be  thou  as  chaste  as  ice,  as  pure  as 
snow,  thou  shalt  not  escape  calumny." 

LORENZO. 

Mr.  Ethelbert,  finding  his  daughter  in  love  with 
Lorenzo,  one  day  he  called  the  latter  in  his  pri 
vate  room. 

"  Lorenzo,"  said  he,  "your  sincerity  leads  me  to 
perceive  your  love  towards  my  daughter.  I  would 
have  no  objection  if  your  political  sentiments  were 
like  mine :  however,  after  having  been  disappoint 
ed  in  your  noble  struggles,  I  find  no  reason  why 
you  should  not  renounce  your  democracy.  I  am 
a  rich  man  in  England,  and  I  have  this  only  daugh 
ter  :  should  you  coincide  with  me,  not  only  Oona- 
laska  is  your  wife  ;  but,  with  my  means  and  your 
talents,!  promise  you  an  eminent  place  in  London." 

"  Dear  sir,"  replied  Lorenzo,  "  I  love  Oonalas- 
ka,  and  could  not  be  happy  had  I  all  the  world 
without  her.  But,  sir,  you  are  not  bound  as  I  am 
in  behalf  of  my  sentiments  towards  a  Republic. 
I  admire  your  politeness  and  hospitality,  Mr.  Ethel 
bert,  in  not  having  opposed  my  sentiments :  but, 


42  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

permit  me  only  to  tell  you,  that  the  cause  I  advo 
cate  is  but  the  progress  of  education,  which  wili 
bring  all  nations  to  banish  any  other  government 
but  that  in  favor  of  plurality.  But,  from  this  mo 
ment,  in  paying  homage  to  your  gentility,  I  will 
always  be  silent  on  this  subject." 

"  No,  Lorenzo,  it  cannot  be,  unless  you  abandon 
your  principles." 

"  It  is  impossible,  Mr.  Ethelbert ;  a  few  days  be 
fore  my  dear  father  expired  on  the  field  of  honour, 
he  made  me  swear  against  every  other  principle  of 
politic  but  those  of  Brutus,  Cato,  and  Washing 
ton." 

"  It  is  with  a  breaking  heart  I  must  tell  you,  Lo 
renzo,  you  cannot  be  my  son-in-law." 

It  was  enough  for  Lorenzo  to  understand  that 
Mr.  Ethelbert,  in  telling  him  he  could  not  be  his 
son-in-law,  he  was  too  polite  for  objecting  further 
visits.  So  that,  without  uttering  a  single  word  to 
Oonalaska,  with  a  heart-break,  Lorenzo  took  leave 
from  the  object  of  all  his  hopes. 

In  going  home,  Lorenzo  felt  quite  a  contrary 
sentiment  from  few  evenings  before :  the  moon  was 
not  up,  and  the  scenery,  in  which  love  was  present 
ed  so  delightfully  to  his  hopeful  imagination,  was 
now  as  gloomy  as  his  mind.  After  a  week,  a  ser 
vant  of  Oonalaska  brought  him  the  following  letter: 

TO  LORENZO. 

Coligny. 

What  keeps  you  from  me  so  long  ?  I  have  been 
informed  you  arc  not  «ick*  Last  night,  Lorenzo, 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  43 

I  had  a  dreadful  dream  :  it  seemed  you  were  dying 
in  my  arms ;  when  I  was  awaked  by  mother,  I 
found  myself  suffused  in  tears.  Oh,  Lorenzo,  a  ter 
rible  presentiment  threatens  me ;  oh,  relieve  me 
from  such  a  terrible  situation  ! 

OONALASKA. 


TO  OONALASKA. 

Geneva. 

We  are  not  born  for  happiness,  Oonalaska ;  but, 
who  is  happy  here  below  ?  However,  I  cannot 
complain  against  my  fortune,  when  I  think  that 
all  the  powers  of  the  world  cannot  affect  your 
kindness  towards  me.  Yes,  Oonalaska,  it  is  for 
bidden  for  us  to  see  each  other  once  more ;  it  would 
do  nothing  but  increase  our  passion  ;  but,  I  carry 
into  my  solitude,  the  consoling  idea  that  you  will 
never  forget  me.  It  is  neither  distance,  nor  length 
of  time,  which  can  disunite  our  souls.  Time,  whilst 
it  wrinkles  our  faces,  purifies  our  thoughts ;  and, 
in  strengthening  our  reason,  will  endear  more  and 
more  our  friendship.  But,  although  I  think  with 
Chateaubriand :  "  L'ame  a  besoin,  pour  se  deve- 
lopper  danstoute  sa  force,  d'etre  ensevelie  quelque 
terops  sous  les  rigueurs  de  Padversite i;"  neverthe 
less,  the  pain  of  our  separation  is  beyond  my  phi 
losophy What  more?  I  cannot  even  have  the 

pleasure  of  explaining  the  cause  of  my  absence  in 
compliance  with  your  request. 

LORENZO 


44  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

TO  LORENZO. 

Coligny. 

At  last  my  father  has  told  me  the  cause  of  your 
absence !  Lorenzo,  a  father  has  a  thousand  claims 
on  his  children  ;  but,  he  cannot  have  that  of  sepa 
rating  the  soul  of  his  child  from  that  which  nature 
has  created  for  her  happiness.  Politic  has  nothing 
to  do  with  us,  Lorenzo.  Yiews,  either  of  integrity, 
ambition,  wealth,  or  whatsoever  interested  ones 
which  bring  men  to  follow  different  kinds  of  go 
vernments,  must  have  no  influence  with  the  force  of 
our  sympathy.  Our  souls  cannot  subsist,  unless 
united. 

On  the  other  side,  I  cannot  blame  you,  Lorenzo, 
since  the  oath  which  you  took  before  your  father  is 
sacred,  and,  I  do  not  think  I  would  be  happy  with 
you,  if  for  the  sake  of  our  love  you  would  per 
jure  yourself.  My  father  has  no  such  ties.  And, 
why  should  he  not  be  our  friend,  though  differing 
in  political  sentiments?. ..But,  as  I  know  my  father's 
character,  I  do  not  believe  he  would  renounce  his 
opinions  even  for  my  sake,  who,  after  my  mother, 
am  the  object  of  his  most  kind  affections. 

Lorenzo,  why  shall  we  not  be  happy  1  My  fath 
er,  my  mother  are  the  most  sacred  and  dearest  per 
sons  to  me  :  but  for  you,  Lorenzo,  I  feel  something 
which,  for  want  of  a  heavenly  language,  I  cannot 
explain. ...No,  I  shall  never  be  able  to  live  without 
you:  "ouje  m'  attache,  ou  je  me  meurs."...If  you 
have  no  objection,  I  arn  ready  to  follow  you  in 
any  corner  of  the  world  you  think  proper. 

OONALASKA. 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  45 

TO  OONALASKA. 

Geneva. 

KUlas,  cette  tendre  mere  habite  de  1'autre  c6t6  de  ces  flots ; 
peut-fetre  qu'  en  ce  moment  elle  lea  contemple  du  rivage  op- 
pos£,  en  songeant  a  son  fils  (  Chateaubriand. 

I  feel  as  you  the  power  of  your  reason,  Oonalas- 
ka,  when  parents  prevent  so  sacred  tie,  with  no 
other  reason  but  their  caprice,  I  find  no  blemish  in 
the  side  of  two  objects  like  ourselves  when  they 
follow  their  propensity.  But,  Oonalaska,  in  spite 
of  it  I  would  not  be  happy,  under  the  idea  of  being 
a  betrayer,  by  having  abused  the  confidence  of  your 
father,  who,  knowing  my  principles,  sleeps  quiet  in 
his  bed  without  the  least  idea  that  I  would  run  a- 
way  with  his  dear  daughter.  You  too,  Oona 
laska,  would  not  be  happy  with  me  when  far 
from  your  desolate  parents.  We  are  often  bad 
judges  of  our  own  feelings  before  success ;  but 
when  it  is  accomplished,  we  always  feel  a  remorse 
in  our  conscience.  Oonalaska,  your  love  would 
not  permit  you  to  reproach  me  in  not  having  pre 
vented  such  a  step  ;  but,  I  should  have  the  com 
plaint  of  seeing  you  fainting  every  day  :  your  feel 
ing  would  kill  you.  On  another  side,  I  should  pay 
with  ingratitude  the  friendship  and  hospitality  of 
your  kind  father.  No,  Oonalaska,  we  could  not  be 
happy.  Angel  of  my  painful  existence,  I  would 
prefer  not  only  a  thousand  deaths,  but  even  to  be 
forgotten  by  you,  rather  than  bring  the  sorrow  and 
the  desolation  into  the  bosom  of  your  parents. 

LORENZO. 


46  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA, 

Quelquefois  je  me  persuade  que  1'Etre-Supreme  a  abandonn* 
le  monde  aux  medians,  et  qu'il  a  reserve  I'lmmortalits  de  Tame 
seulement  pour  les  justes.  Destael. 

Among  the  sceneries  which  I  would  always  like 
to  see,  it  is  one  about  a  mile  from  Geneva  on  an 
elevated  ground  near  the  conflux  of  the  Rhone 
with  the  Havre.  Whilst  I  sat  down  on  a  small 
piece  of  green  over  a  ravine  cut  down  perpendicu 
larly  to  the  brink  of  the  Rhone,  sometimes  admir 
ing  the  line  of  demarcation  going  down  for  a 
long  tract  between  the  two  distinct  colours  of  the 
rivers,  and  sometimes  observing  on  my  left  the 
water  of  the  lake  flowing  into  the  Rhone  between 
Coutance,  and  Place  Bel-air,  I  was  surprized  on 
discovering  behind  me  an  old  friend  of  mine,  Ca- 
millo,  an  Italian  emigrant,  father  of  a  large  family, 
He  sat  with  me,  and  told  that  once  Lorenzo  was 
on  the  very  piece  of  ground  uttering  the  following 
monologue : 

"  I  am  unhappy,  very  unhappy  !  The  compa 
nion  of  my  thoughts  is  taken  from  me  for  ever. 
Oonalaska  did  never  misunderstand  me. ..But,  why 
shall  I  wait  a  malady  to  put  an  end  to  this  insup 
portable  life  ?  Why  shall  1  live  when  the  sacrifice 
of  my  country  is  consumed  1" 

After  a  long  pause,  said  Camillo,  he  sat  down 
on  the  green,  and  taking  a  Bible  from  his  pock 
et,  he  read  with  great  attention  :  then  he  thought 
for  a  long  while,  and  read  again  smiling  bitterly ; 
&t  last  he  uttered  : 

"No,  thou  art  not  the  God  the  heart  of  my  dear 
Another  has  described  to  me,  when,  without  experi- 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  47 

fence,  and  insensible  of  the  happiness  which  sur 
rounded  me,  I  knew  nothing  but  the  pleasure  of  a 
lively  existence.  No,  thou  art  not  that  just,  and 
good  Creator  that  the  goodness  of  my  sister  was 
pleased  to  pen  with  the  colours  of  her  angelical 
soul.  A  stoick  would  be  ashamed  of  thy  wrath. 
Yes,  I  have  a  better  idea  of  God :  but,  since  I 
cannot  admire  him  as  a  being  separated  from  mat 
ter,  and  invisible  to  me,  my  God  is  every  good 
thing  coming  from  his  mysterious  hand.  When  I 
shall  see  him  not  like  a  passionate  man  condemn 
ing  the  poor  to  be  stoned  in  the  wilderness  be 
cause  he  gathered  a  few  sticks  on  Saturday,  but, 
with  more  justice,  to  exterminate  with  his  thunder 
bolts  the  vile  tyrants  of  my  country,  then  I  will  be 
lieve  in  Moses.  But,  how  shall  I  worship  him, 
who  with  an  eye  of  indifference  assists  such  wretch 
es  on  thrones,  who  soak  themselves  in  human 
blood  1" 

Saying  this,  he  flung  the  Bible  into  the  river. 
But,  when  I  saw  him  on  the  brink  of  a  precipice, 
in  the  act  of  throwing  himself,  I  cried  : 

"  Senseless  Lorenzo,  such  was  not  the  counsel  I 
gave  you,  when  you  came  in  my  poor  hut  to  give 
me  the  bread  which  delivered  me  from  death.  Your 
tears  infusing  in  my  heart  a  balm  which  gave  life  to 
my  decaying  days,  made  me  feel  the  power  of  virtue, 
and  I  blessed  heaven.  Without  the  school  of  mis 
fortune,  I  would  have  never  been  able  to  feel  the 
celestial  propensity  of  your  fine  soul.  Oh,  in  anoth 
er  moment,  Lorenzo,  you  would  be  ashamed  of 
the  idea  of  killing  yourself  Although  society  is 


43  LOBENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

ungrateful  to  you,  still  you  ought  to  be  generous 
towards  her  by  sparing  your  precious  life.  Look 
at  me :  I  am  more  unhappy  than  you :  old,  exiled 
like  you  ;  but,  you  have  no  wife,  no  children  as  I 
have,  without  hope  of  doing  my  duty  towards  therii: 
nevertheless,  oftener  I  bless  the  hand  which  pro 
longs  this  miserable  life." 

He  closed  his  eyes,  and  fell  senseless  into  my 
arms.  I  leaned  him  on  the  green  ;  and  seeing  he 
was  receiving  new  strength,  I  put  his  head  on  my 
knees,  and  he  fell  asleep.  Sometimes  I  saw  very 
violent  emotions  passing  through  his  mind,  and 
then  I  was  willing  to  awake  him :  but,  seeing 
that  from  time  to  time  he  was  taking  a  periodical 
rest,  I  waited  until  he  returned  from  his  lethargy, 
I  went  with  him  to  his  house ;  and,  in  entering 
his  closet,  I  had  the  satisfaction  to  see  that  his 
face  was  getting  cheerful  in  reading  with  me  the 
Divine  Comedy  of  Dante.  However,  knowing 
his  heart,  I  could  not  avoid  thinking,  whilst  the 
unhappy  young  man  was  pleased  in  seeing  virtue 
residing  among  those  conspicuous  men,  whose  life 
was  nothing  but  a  long  string  of  vicissitudes,  he 
was  drinking  the  bitter  chalice  of  his  despair. 
Virtuous  men  had  always  suffered  among  their 
generations  inferior  to  them  of  three  or  four  cen 
turies,  by  being  their  ignorant  age  in  contradic 
tion  with  them  :  besides,  vice  dislikes  those,  who 
would  bridle  it. 


LOHENZO  AND  OONALASKA,  49 

TO  CHARLES, 

Geneva. 

Socrate,  condamne  par  un  jugement  inique  d  perdre  la  vie 
dans  quelques  heures,  n'avait  pas  besoin  d'examiner  bien  at- 
tentivement  s'il  lui  etait  permis  d'en  disposer.  En  supposant 
qu'  il  ait  tenu  reellement  les  discours  que  Platon  lui  fait  tenir, 
croyez  moi,  Mylord,  il  les  cut  medites  avec  plus  de  soin  dans; 
1'occasion  de  les  mettre  en  pratique,  et  la  preuve  qu'  on  ne 
pent  tirer  de  cet  immortel  ouvrage  aucune  bonne  objection 
contre  le  droit  de  disposer  de  sa  propre  vie,  c'est  que  Caton  le 
lut  par  deux  foix  tout  entier  la  nuit  m6me  qu'  il  quitta  la  terre. 

J.  J.  Rousseau. 

Yes,  Charles,  we  must  be  out  of  our  sense  for 
such  an  unnatural  act.  A  few  weeks  ago,  had  not 
Camillo  run  to  my  assistance,  I  would  have  com 
mitted  suicide  !  and  then  what  black  stain  I  would 
have  left  beyond  my  grave !  Now,  I  may  say 
with  Young: 

How  poor,  how  rich,  how  abject,  how  august, 
How  complicate,  how  wonderful  is  man  ! 

I  was  so  overpowered  with  pains,  that  my  reason 
has  quitted  my  unsound  mind  ! 

Although  the  picture  of  heaven,  which  was  pre 
sented  me  when  a  child,  was  quite  inconsistent  with 
my  natural  feeling,  I  allow  that  some  religions  give 
so  fine  poetical  ideas  of  an  eternal  life,  that  find 
ing  so  little  comfort  ability  on  this  globe,  we  take 
pleasure,  without  further  demonstration,  in  stick 
ing  with  our  utmost  energy  to  a  better  existence- 
Then,  although  we  have  never  heard  from  thence, 
our  imagination  creates  a  thousand  things  incon 
sistent  \vith  our  human  nature,  and,  like  the  man 
7 


.>0  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

building  castles  in  the  air,  we  confect  every  pleas 
ing  thing,  according  to  our  own  fancy.  The  lustful 
Mahometans  imagine  Houris ;  the  warriors,  fight 
ing  battles  over  the  clouds ;  the  few  virtuous  men,  a 
God  rewarding  human  actions  on  a  golden  scale ; 
the  fanatics,  nobody  rewarded  but  blind  supersti 
tious  believers;  the  monastics,  the  distinctions  of  a 
royal  court ;  so  that,  whilst,  according  to  our  dis 
senting  creeds,  human  nature  must  be  changed, 
still,  we  imagine  to  satisfy  hereafter  our  earthly 
ruling  passions,  quite  inconsistent  with  perfection. 
Habit  has  so  great  power  upon  us,  that  we  have 
seen  prisoners,  in  the  last  day  of  their  detention, 
begging  for  remaining  their  whole  life.    And  to 
whom,  although  ungrateful,  is  not  the  country  of 
his  birth  dear  1     How  sweet  is  the  recollection  of 
those  places,  the  witnesses  of  our  infancy,  where 
every  thing  smiled  before  us  in  those  happy  days. 
Do  you  see  that  hill  1  There  I  walked  one  day  with 
my  father :  he  folded  me  in  his  arms,  and  I  feel  yet 
on  my  cheeks  one  of  his  warm  tears  when  he  bless 
ed  me  with  a  sigh,  and  uttering  with  affection  : 
Please  God  to  make  this  child  happy  when  fortune 
shall  have  separated  him  from  my  embraces.  Here, 
under  this  oak,  my  eldest  sister  gave  me  the  affec 
tionate  kiss  of  her  innocence.     But,  where  is  now 
my  father!.,.. My  father?     Behold;  he  sleeps  the 
eternal  slumber  of  the  grave.     Oh !  why  his  bones 
are  not  buried  in  a  free  country  1     Oh  !  that  tomb 
binds  me  with  love  to  Italy  L.Dear  Italy,  thou  art 
overlaid  with  tyrants  !    And  when  will  it  be  grant 
ed  me  to  shed  tears  on  that  stone,  mixed  with  those 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  51 

of  Oonalaska?  Oh,  I  would  forget  the  pains, 
which,  by  want  of  her  comfort,  I  did  not  endure 
with  all  that  worthy,  and  manly  fortitude  of  my 
sex.... But,  I  cannot  be  a  stoic  ;  and  if  so,  I  would 
open  my  bosom,  and  cast  out  such  a  useless  heart... 
With  Oonalaska?. ..Charles,  she  is  taken  from  me 
for  ever  !  Shall  I  have  the  hope  of  her  society  in 
heaven?  No,  Charles,  we  are  too  miserable,  and 
selfish  creatures  for  the  gift  of  immortality :  go  to 
church,  and  listen  attentively  to  him,  whom  they 
call  the  best  preacher ;  and  then,  in  the  very  mo 
ment  he  preaches  humility,  thou  wilt  feel  a  dis 
gusting  sensation  of  his  pride !  Wouldst  thou 
know  the  reason  of  it  ?  It  is,  because  instead  of 
the  love  towards  his  wandering  sheep,  he  conceals 
in  himself  the  wrath  of  Moses. 

LORENZO. 


TO  LORENZO. 

London. 

Que  ceux  qui  nous  exhortent  a  faire  ce  qu'  ils  disent,  et  non 
ce  qu'  ils  font,  disent  une  grande  absurdite !  Qui  ne  fait  pas 
ce  qu'  il  dit,  ne  le  dit  jamais  bien ;  car  le  langage  du  cocur  qui 
louche,  et  persuade,  y  manque.  /.  /.  Rousseau. 

Yes,  Lorenzo,  I  heard  many  clergymen,  who  ex 
cited  in  me  the  very  loathful  sensations  which  you 
describe  in  your  last  letter.  As  we  find  a  great 
many,  following  professions  for  which  they  have  no 
vocation,  so,  we  find  spouting  orators  of  the  church, 
who  believe  the  true  source  of  rhetoric  is  noth- 


52  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA* 

ing  else  but  speaking  loud,  and  inveighing  against 
writers,  whom  they  could  not,  or  would  not  under 
stand.  Then,  people  instead  of  learning  good 
morals,  and  feelings  worthy  of  a  civilized  nation, 
they  do  nothing  but  to  drink  a  poison  which  kills 
reason  in  the  bud.  But,  for  the  honor  of  a  great 
many,  professing  our  faith,  I  believe  they  are  good, 
and  sincere  followers  of  Christ.  However,  it  is 
useless  to  argue  with  you  on  this  subject,  since, 
although  your  letter  seems  too  severe,  I  know  that 
you  think  with  me.  What  displeases  me,  is  to  see 
you  bereft  of  the  hope  to  find  your  friends  in  hea 
ven,  the  expected  remuneration  of  the  virtuous. 

If  I  were  not  acquainted  with  thee,  I  should 
never  believe  a  man  could  be  virtuous  with  thy 
dreadful  philosophy.  I  admire  the  sublimity  of 
thy  mind  always  connected  with  nature  :  but,  be 
lieve  me,  my  best  friend,  the  day  will  come,  in 
which  I  shall  enjoy  the  sight  of  my  dear  Lorenzo 
crowned  with  heavenly  flowers  before  God.  Thy 
lovely  sisters  "  Col  sorriso  del  pago  desio,"  will  set 
it  on  thy  forehead.  Thou  art  worthy,  Lorenzo, 
thou,  who  dost  good  not  only  without  the  hope  of 
other  reward  hereafter  \  but,  shunnest  even  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  thy  virtuous  actions  remunera 
ted  with  the  approbation  of  those,  whom  thou  es- 
teemest.  I  have  not  thy  virtue,  Lorenzo ;  but, 
though  without  hope,  perhaps,  I  should  do  noth 
ing  deserving,  when  I  can  reach  the  sublimity  of 
thy  philosophy,  then  it  seems  a  good  action  cannot 
be  meritorious  if  it  is  done  with  the  slightest  idea 
of  recompense .  On  the  other  hand,  it  would  seera, 


LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA.  OO 

that  God  could  not  refuse  an  eye  of  complacency 
on  those  actions  also,  which  \ve  perform  with  pur 
pose  of  re  ward,  provided  that  we  avoid  the  infernal 
propensity  of  the  miser,  or  the  Pharisee's  pride  ; 
since  the  nature  of  man,  a  compound  of  good  and 
evil,  suspending  him  between  heaven  and  hell, 
renders  it  almost  impossible  for  him  to  divest  him 
self  entirely  of  all  selfish  considerations.  How 
ever,  if  a  good  action  dignifies  a  man  when  he  does 
it  for  the  love  of  true  glory,  it  ranks  him  with  an 
gels,  when  he  does  it  in  secret  with  no  other  plea 
sure  but  to  satisfy  the  liberal  feeling  of  an  educa 
tion,  and  pure  conscience  like  thine. 

Thou  art  something  superior  to  man ;  and  if 
thou  have  a  "patria,"  thou  shouldst  be  ranked  with 
Cato.  Our  age  does  not  understand  thee.  When 
thou  speakest,  selfishness  is  so  inveterate,  that  thy 
hearers  become  thy  antagonists.  Their  actions 
being  against  society,  and  by  consequence  against 
themselves,  they  feel  in  thee  nothing  but  a  censor. 

The  soul  which  animates  thy  existence  with 
heavenly  inspirations  will  be  extinguished  for  evert 
The  more  I  ponder  the  Bible,  the  more  I  find  the 
moral  of  Lorenzo,  in  being  at  variance  with  it,  it 
cannot  transgress  the  Maker  of  all.  Thy  Bible  is 
Nature,  thou  sayest ;  therefore  thou  art  on  the 
Lord's  side,  because  Nature  is  the  first  book  ema 
nated  from  the  hands  of  God, 

CHARLES. 


54  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

TO  HIS  DAUGHTER  AMALIA. 

Nessun  maggior  dolore 
Che  ricordarsi  de3  tempi  felici 
Nella  miseria.  Dante. 

Thy  sentiments  have  painted  me  the  benevolent 
religion  of  thy  mother,  and  I  felt  my  heart  throb 
bing  as  it  did  in  the  days  of  my  first  love,  days 
which  are  gone,  and  will  return  no  more !  Tell 
me,  my  dear  daughter;  do  my  enemies  insult  her 
grave  1  Go  thither,  and  cover  it  with  the  last  flow 
ers  of  autumn.  I  read  thy  letter  to  Lorenzo ;  and 
when  I  arrived  to  the  following  passage  which  I 
take  now  the  pleasure  of  transcribing,  I  had  the 
consolation  to  see  him  better.  "I  would  havebeen 
with  you  to  deviate  Lorenzo  from  the  danger  in 
which  his  misfortune  was  leading  him  ;  and  lift  up 
his  noble  heart  to  the  greatness  for  which  nature 
has  created  him,  and  make  him  feel  that  his  soul 
is  not  fit  for  this  earth,  but,  to  fly  into  the  immense 
space  of  God,  of  God,  who  called  him  from  noth 
ing  to  immortality." 

In  the  bosom  of  our  family  I  We  have  no  hope 
now  of  embracing  you  !  Lorenzo  thanks  you  for 
your  kind  feelings  towards  him;  and  tells  you, 
whilst  he  acknowledges  your  moral,  and  true  cha 
rity,  he  advises  you  to  avoid  the  Jesuits  disguised 
in  a  great  many  shapes. 

This  last  night  thou  wert  my  tutelar  angel, 
Amalia  ;  it  seemed  I  was  with  you  all  in  the  very 
garden,  once  our  property :  tliou  wert  gathering 
flowers;  and  after  having  made  a  fine  wreath 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

earnest  to  set  it  on  my  head  with  the  comeliness 
of  a  grace  of  Albano.  Without  my  dreams,  I 
should  be  like  a  patient  deprived  of  the  intervals 
of  calm.  Do  not  be  uneasy  concerning  me,  my 
daughter ;  the  pain  does  not  endure  always  ;  and, 
when  I  am  released,  I  feel  all  the  happiness  of  a 
free  conscience. 

If  you,  who  are  now  the  only  objects  of  my  af 
fections,  were  not  separated  from  me,  I  would  say 
with  Bulwer :  "  I  am  one  to  whom  all  places  are 
alike  ;  it  matters  not  whether  I  visit  a  northern,  or 
a  southern  clime."  But,  your  absence,  my  dear 
daughters,  is  too  painful  for  my  weak  philosophy. 
The  life  of  man  is  a  very  trifling  thing!  When 
boys,  we  aspire  to  manhood  :  and  when  this  ar 
rives,  which  comes  but  too  soon,  we  suffer  in  seeing 
wrinkles  on  our  forehead.  Soon  the  hair  becomes 
gray  ;  and  we  find  ourselves  in  uncomfortable  old 
age  daily  awaiting,  what?.. .A  tomb,  which  whilst, 
for  me,  it  will  put  an  end  to  my  sufferings,  still,  in 
the  very  moment  of  my  death,  I  shall  bring  with 
me  the  painful  idea  of  leaving  you  behind  in  a 
state  of  indigence.  Then,  hope  tells  us  :  Thou 
shalt  walk  above  the  stars.... Let  us  drop  the  cur 
tain  for  the  time  to  come ! 

I  received  a  letter  from  Hippolytus,  the  brother 
of  Lorenzo.  The  poor  children  of  Italy  are  now 
scattered  around  the  globe,  dying  unnoticed !  I 
will  transcribe  for  you,  only  these  few  lines  of  him  : 
"A  pure  air,  and  a  smiling  country  were  pouring 
in  my  heart  a  sweet  melancholy,  when  we  reached 
the  top  of  a  small  mountain,  our  eyes  were  some 
times  on  the  Indian  sea,  and  sometimes  on  the 


56  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

gulf  of  Arabia.  We  went  towards  a  hut,  and  saw 
in  it  an  Italian  emigrant  lying  nearly  dead.  A  man, 
lifting  up  his  head,  and  his  beautiful  daughter  not 
yet  twenty  years  of  age,  giving  to  the  patient  all 
those  succours  which  that  miserable  abode  could 
bestow  :  Before  expiring  he  said,  that  in  seeing 
Italians  around  him,  he  was  dying  not  quite  un 
happy." 

Be  cheerful  my  daughters,  in  thinking  that  our 
friend  Lorenzo  has  for  me  the  same  affection  he 
had  for  his  father  :  the  benefits  I  receive  from  his 
hand  are  such,  that  whilst  they  give  illustration  of 
his  gentility,  interfere  not  with  my  delicacy. 

CAMILLO. 

Poor  child  of  danger,  nursling  of  the  storm, 
Sad  are  the  woes  that  wreck  thy  manly  form ! 
Rocks,  waves,  and  winds,  the  shattered  bark  delay ; 
Thy  heart  is  sad,  thy  home  is  far  away.  Campbell, 

The  darkness  of  the  night  increased,  as  Loren 
zo  with  his  heart  full  of  joy  travelled  towards  the 
town  of  all  his  hopes.  The  moonlight  began  to 
enlighten  his  way,  when  he  arrived  within  two  or 
three  miles  of  the  lovely  habitation  of  his  mother, 
and  sisters. 

"  Permit  me,  my  God,"  said  he,  lifting  his  hands 
towards  the  starry  sky,  "  to  live  till  I  have  press 
ed  my  mother  to  my  bosom  !" 

He  arrived,  running  to  the  door  where  he  had 
breathed  for  the  first  time  the  breath  of  existence... 
A  melancholy  silence  was  reigning  in  the  house  ; 
and  his  sisters  and  little  brothers  were  praying 
around  his  mother,  who  had  expired  a  few  hours 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  57 

before.  The  unexpected  pleasure  she  receiv 
ed  from  the  letter  of  her  dear  son,  announcing  his 
arrival,  joined  to  the  last  painful  period  of  her  life, 
carried  her  to  the  grave.  At  that  sorrowful  sight, 
Lorenzo  fell  in  the  arms  of  his  sisters,  and  broth 
ers  ;  and,  folding  Carlotta  in  his  arms,  he  remained 
a  long  time  without  being  able  to  utter  a  syllable. 
After  the  burial,  he  climbed  up  the  mountains. 
The  cries  of  his  grief  sounded  like  the  wolfs  long 
howls ;  he  was  heard  to  utter  the  most  piercing 
cries  of  a  maniac.  As  in  the  following  night  a 
dreadful  storm  carried  away  several  large  trees, 
and  some  enormous  cliffs  ;  some  of  the  former 
were  found  swimming  along  the  Tiber  ;  and  some 
of  the  latter  in  the  bottom  of  it,  and  a  man  shot 
among  rocks,  his  sisters,  and  friends,  after  having 
spent  several  months  in  making  useless  inquiries, 
and  been  reported  them  he  must  have  died,  with 
the  afflicted  situation  of  being  deprived  of  the  sad 
satisfaction  of  burying  so  dear  a  brother,  erected 
to  his  memory  a  tombstone,  which  is  now  seen  un 
der  two  oaks,  where  he  used  to  sport  in  the  happy 
days  of  his  infancy.  After  five  or  six  months  they 
received  the  following  letter. 

TO  HIS  SISTERS. 

Lyons. 

Si  je  regrette  quelque  chose  dans  la  vie,  ce  sera  de  ne  plus 
aller  sur  le  mont  Ithome  voir  les  troupeaux  avec  mon  pere,  de 
ne  pouvoir  nourrir  Pauteur  de  mes  jours  dans  sa  vieillesse, 
comme  il  me  nourrit  dans  mon  enfance.  Chateaubriand. 

Our  persecutors  did  not  permit  me  to  mourn 

8 


58  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

with  you  our  dear  mother.  When  we  were  in  the 
church-yard,  one  of  our  friends  whispered  in  my 
ear,  that  two  officers  were  not  far  from  us  in  search 
of  me.  I  took  immediately  the  way  of  the  Apen 
nines  :  when  I  was  not  farther  than  ten  miles 
from  you,  I  was  assailed  by  the  very  officers: 
they  both  discharged  their  arms  on  me  ;  but,  the 
souls  of  our  father,  and  mother  must  have  shielded 
me,  since  I  was  untouched :  I  killed  one  with  my 
pistol,  and  put  the  other  to  flight.  I  passed  that 
stormy  night  on  the  Appennines,  protected  by  a 
rock.  After  five  days,  I  reached  Genoa ;  and, 
with  difficulty,  went  on  board  for  Marseilles.  I 
shall  be  more  diffused  in  my  next  letter. 

LORENZO. 


TO  CHARLES. 

Chatillon. 

Ni  les  jours  du  printems,  ni  1'azur  des  cieux,  ni  1'aspect  des 
fleurs  ne  peuvent distraire  Tame  d'une  douleur  profonde.  Mais, 
le  bruit  du  tonnerre  plait  au  cceur  dechirS  par  le  desespoir;  et 
lorsqu'  au  fort  de  nos  peines  un  sanglot,  un  murmure  s'echap- 
pent  de  nos  levres,  nous  aimons  a  entendre  la  nature  murmurer 
autour  de  nous,  et  le  bruit  des  vents  dans  les  cavernes,  et  des 
torrena  sur  la  montagne  couvrir  la  faiblesse  de  notre  voix. 

Le  Barde. 

Who  called  me  on  this  globe  to  weep  and  die  ? 
My  existence  is  nothing  but  a  torture  :  I  have  here 
not  a  single  person  to  whom  I  may  pour  out  the 
hitter  chalice  of  my  sorrows  which  is  undermining 
my  life.  I  run  upon  this  earth,  like  a  hopeless 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  59 

extravagant ;  and  every  where  find  nothing  but 
disgust :  here,  after  my  death,  no  friend  will  shed 
a  tear  on  my  eternal  bed :  time,  says  the  philoso 
pher,  will  heal  the  wounds  death  has  given  thee  in 
cutting  off  thy  best  brother  :  he  was  kind  to  me, 
and  when  I  bade  him  farewell,  it  was  my  last ! 
My  dear  John  !...My  dear  Carlotta  too,  is  gone  in 
heaven!  This  earth  was  too  depraved  for  her; 
she  could  not  survive  our  mother.  Oh !  how 
dreadful  is  the  idea,  that  I  shall  see  them  no  more ! 
I  shall  not  hearken  to  the  sweet  sound  of  their 
melodious  voices,  which  often  poured  in  my  heart 
the  balm  of  life. 

The  wind,  and  lightning  raged  sometime  ago  on 
the  hill ;  a  river  from  heaven  has  overflowed  the 
dale :  cattle,  and  men  were  drowned,  or  suffoca 
ted,  whilst  I  was  gazing  on  the  destruction  with 
apathy. 

LORENZO. 


60  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

TO  AMALIA. 


Geneva. 


It  is  not  without  interest  to  observe  in  those  remote  times, 
and  under  a  social  system  so  widely  different  from  modern — 
the  same  small  causes  that  ruffle,  and  interrupt  the  course  of 
life,  which  operate  so  commonly  at  this  day ;  the  same  inven 
tive  jealousy,  the  same  cunning  slander,  the  same  crafty  and 
fabricating  retailings  of  petty  gossips,  which  so  often  now  suf 
fice  to  break  the  ties  of  the  truest  love,  and  counteract  the  tenor 
of  circumstances  most  apparently  propitiousl  When  the  bark 
sails  on  over  the  smoothest  wave,  the  fable  tells  us  of  the  dimi 
nutive  fish,  that  can  cling  to  the  keel,  and  arrest  its  progress ; 
so  it  is  ever  with  the  greatest  passions  of  mankind :  and  we 
should  paint  life  but  ill,  if,  even  in  times  the  most  prodigal  of 
romance,  and  of  the  romance  of  which  we  must  largely  avail 
ourselves,  we  do  not  also  delineate  the  mechanism  of  those  tri 
vial,  and  household  springs  of  mischief,  which  we  see  every  day 
at  work  in  our  chambers,  at  our  hearths.  It  is  in  these,  the 
lesser  intrigues  of  life,  that  we  mostly  find  ourselves  at  home 
with  the  past.  Bulwer. 

The  above  citation  is  sadly  true,  my  dear  Ama- 
lia.  They  are  but  spoiled  children  of  nature, 
whose  life  has  always  been  a  cheerful  day  of 
spring.  Oh !  this  world  is  wicked,  my  dear ! 
Now,  that  Lorenzo  has  left  this  place,  a  great 
many,  who  professed  to  be  his  friends,  slander 
him  with  such  an  art,  and  cunning,  that,  if  I  were 
not  thoroughly  acquainted  with  him,  they  would 
even  make  me  believe  their  lies. 

A  young  man,  careless  of  the  insects  around 
him,  will  easily  lose  his  reputation,  when  a  skilful 
foe,  having  the  opportunity  of  entangling  webs 
athwart  his  tracks,  colours  his  innocent  actions 
with  infamy.  There  are  many  lagos  who  feel  an 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  61 

evil  enjoyment,  when  they  can  see  another  Desde- 
mona  smothered  by  the  hands  of  an  Othello.  Does 
an  enemy  tell  a  lie  in  a  circle  1  Every  one  there 
present,  whether  he  be  of  good  faith,  or  wick 
ed,  in  repeating  the  same  to  others,  will  make  it 
so  public,  that  if  the  innocent  were  an  Angel,  he 
would  not  be  able  to  wrash  out  such  a  black  stain. 
Since  it  is  very  easy  to  disrepute  a  stranger,  I 
would  punish  every  slanderer  by  the  rigour  of  the 
law.  It  is  related  that  a  family,  who  understood 
the  right  of  hospitality,  learning  that  their  present 
guest  had  murdered  their  father,  after  having  giv 
en  the  wretch  the  means  of  quitting  their  roof,  ad 
vised  him  not  to  meet  them  again,  having  deter 
mined  to  revenge  the  death  of  their  father. 

The  evil  that  a  bad  tongue  may  cause  to  absent 
innocence,  cannot  be  described,  since  human  kind 
has  a  great  propensity  to  listen  to  a  slander  with 
pleasure.  It  is  a  pity,  Amalia,  to  see  men,  who 
would  be  silent  before  Lorenzo,  now  endeavoring 
to  bring  down  his  character.  Every  word,  and 
every  little  action  of  him  are  distorted  but  to  de 
molish  his  reputation.  Nay :  many  have  even  the 
impudence  to  charge  him  with  cowardice,  as  if  we 
were  not  acquainted  with  the  heroic  deeds  of  Lo 
renzo. — The  other  day  Mr  X..  paid  us  a  visit ; 
and,  speaking  with  my  father,  he  said  that  Loren 
zo  had  borne  an  insult  without  the  least  resent 
ment. — Sir,  I  answered,  it  might  be,  that  the  virtue 
of  Lorenzo,  like  Jesus,  enabled  him  to  endure  an 
insult :  but,  I  expected  from  you  more  delicacy  to 
wards  him,  since  it  has  been  told  me,  that  it  requir- 


62  LORENZO   AND  OONALASKA. 

ed  Lorenzo's  utmost  efforts  to  arrest  the  anger  of 
Mr  J....,  who  was  determined  to  challenge  you 
for  an  offence  you  had  given  him  in  a  coffee-house. 
I  find,  dear  Amalia,  my  character  is  losing  all 
the  gentility  of  our  sex  in  listening  to  so  many  de 
tractors  of  a  young  man,  whom  I  not  only  esteem, 
but,  admire.  If  Lorenzo  were  not  perfection  it 
self,  they  would  not  take  the  trouble  of  slandering 
him.  Indeed,  Lorenzo  once  told  me,  that  he 
would  think  highly  of  himself  in  proportion  to  the 
number  of  the  enviers  speaking  badly  of  him- 
Amalia,  it  seems,  that  when  they  find  any  man  su 
perior  to  themselves,  they  are  not  satisfied  unless 
he  be  brought  down  to  their  own  common  level. 
They  would  only  speak  highly  of  him,  if  he  were 
dead,  or  in  a  far  country,  where  he  could  not  be 
their  competitor  in  the  circle  of  their  society. 
And  why  so  ?... Because  they  are  afraid,  that  every 
lady,  turning  the  back  upon  them,  would  admire 
their  virtuous  antagonist. — Because,  in  a  word, 
they  understand  these  two  lines  of  Shakspeare : 

"  He  hath  a  daily  beauty  in  his  life, 
That  makes  me  ugly." 

We  have  in  history  the  most  striking  example 
of  such  wickedness.  When  Aristides  was  con 
demned  to  ostracism,  a  man  not  being  able  to 
write,  called  the  very  Aristides  to  put  his  name  on 
the  shell.  "  Do  you  know  him,"  said  Aristides  to 
the  unlettered  1  "  No,"  was  his  answer.  "  Why, 
then,  will  you  banish  him."  "Because,"  said  the 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  63 

idiot,  "  I  am  tired  of  hearing  people  calling  him 
the  Just." 

But,  what  would  you  say,  if  I  tell  you,  that  the 
hypocrite  whom  you  know,  has  done  all  in  his 
power  to  injure  Lorenzo's  character  in  the  sight 
of  my  father?  However,  since  they  judge  us  so 
mean  by  listening  to  the  detraction  of  those,  who 
delight  in  slandering  the  absent,  I  willingly  an 
swered  with  irony,  that  I  wanted  a  husband  for 
this  world,  and  that  I  cared  not,  should  he  go  to 
hell  in  the  next,  provided  he  leave  me  to  enjoy 
the  paradise  of  his  honesty,  and  integrity  on  earth. 

Few  days  ago,  I  went  to  Mrs  A.. ..Before  this 
my  last  visit,  I  believed  she  had  a  fine  education ; 
but,  her  last  conversation  obliges  me  to  think,  that 
all  her  wealth  will  never  constitute  her  a  lady. 
Some  body  present,  speaking  disparagingly  of  Lo 
renzo,  she  said,  that  once,  hearing,  as  she  supposed, 
under  the  vestibule  the  voice  of  Mr  R...,  she  rose 
from  her  chair  to  meet  him ;  but,  when  she  saw  it 
was  but  Mr  Lorenzo  C...,  she  could  not  avoid 
laughing  at  her  mistake ;  and,  having  been  quite 
ashamed  to  have  demonstrated  too  much  polite 
ness  to  the  teacher  of  her  boy,  she  told  him  to  take 
a  chair  under  the  vestibule.  However,  she  said> 
I  was  very  much  pleased  in  seeing,  that  he,  my 
politeness  not  going  farther,  in  putting  on  his 
hat,  and  looking  at  me  with  a  smile  of  contempt, 
went  away  without  uttering  a  word.  So  that,  she 
proceeded,  I  ha,d  the  pleasure  of  getting  rid  of 
him.  My  heart  was  too  deeply  wounded,  Amalia, 
in  that  moment,  to  find  words  adapted  to  such  arc 


64  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

occasion  :  I  rose,  and  begged  my  mother  instantly 
to  leave  the  house. 

1  learned  after  two  or  three  days,  that  the  faults 
of  Lorenzo  was,  not  having  reciprocated  the  love 
she  had  for  him,  and  taught  Greek,  and  Latin 
to  her  boy  for  nothing.  I  would  hint  to  every 
body  willing  to  speak  badly  of  him,  that  since 
they  are  not  angels,  they  have  no  reason  to  speak 
uncharitably  even  of  those,  who  have  really  the 
very  faults  they  are  tickling  to  produce  in  public. 

Come  to  England  with  me  :  your  father  Camil- 
lo  would  not  hesitate,  if  you,  and  your  sisters  were 
determined. 

OONALASKA. 


TO  CHARLES. 

Chatillon. 

But,  what  heart  can  conceive,  what  tongue  utter  the  sequel  ? 
Who  is  that  yonder,  buffeted,  mocked,  and  spurned  ?  Whom 
do  they  drag  like  a  felon?  Whither  do  they  carry  my  Lord, 
rny  King,  my  Saviour,  and  my  God  ?  And  will  he  die  to  expi 
ate  those  very  injuries?  See  where  they  have  nailed  the  Lord, 
and  giver  of  life  ?  How  his  wounds  blacken,  his  body  writhes, 
and  heart  heaves  with  pity,  and  with  agony !  Oh  Almighty  suf 
ferer,  look  down,  look  down  from  thy  triumphant  infamy  !  Lo, 
he  inclines  his  head  to  his  sacred  bosom  !  Hark,  he  groans  ! 
See,  he  expires !  The  earth  trembles,  the  temple  rends,  the 
rocks  burst,  the  dead  arise.  Which  are  the  quick  ?  Which  are 
the  dead  ?  Sure  nature,  all  nature  is  departing  with  her  Crea 
tor.  Steele. 

From  the  earliest  period  of  history,  we  find 
learning  and  theology  intimately  connected.  The 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  65 

Bible  was  the  only  instruction  among  the  Jews,  as 
well  as  the  Iliad,  and  Koran  among  Heathens,  and 
believers  in  Mahomet.     With  the  progress  of  ages, 
sciences,  and  arts,  taking  a  more  extensive  ground, 
and  giving  a  more  exact  idea  of  natural  things, 
in  many  parts  inconsistent  with  the  above  books, 
and  more  suitable  to  the  refined  ideas  of  a  more, 
and  more  educated  people,  created  another  class 
of  men   of  letters,  who,  assuming  the  name  of 
philosophers,  and  grounding  their  reason  on  na 
tural  knowledge,  could  not,  and  I  think  will  never 
agree  with  the  former,  who,  not  minding  the  real 
work  of  God,  which  is  in  the  nature  itself,  stand 
like  champions  to  defend  either  the  Bible,  Iliad,  Ko 
ran,  Ossian,  Zemi,  and  the  long  sequel  of  creeds 
without  number.     These  theologers  by  a  punctilio 
which  always  springs  either  from  ignorance,  pride, 
or  interest,  whilst  they  close  the  ears  to  any  other 
reason  than  their  own,  in  wishing,  with  the  arm  of 
terror  to  stop  the  progresses  of  human  rnind,  be 
came  so  great  enemies  of  well  grounded  instruc 
tion,  that  we  have  only  to  open  history,  if  we  want 
a  disgusting  view  of  morals  mixed  with  the  most 
tyrannical  actions  a  bloody-minded  man  can  pro 
duce.     Thence  two  classes  of  men  of  letters  in 
contradiction  with  each  other :  So,  Reason,  the 
only  Divinity  we  received  from  above  to  soothe 
our  miseries,  by  being  presented  in  so  many  shapes, 
inconsistent  with  the  laws  of  the  common  mother 
Nature,  does    nothing    but  augment  our  woes. 
Thence  every  thing  is  inverted  in  the  economy  of 
human  society  :  and  whilst  hypocrisy,  and  super- 


66 


LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA. 


stition  are  turning  the  people  towards  the  life  to* 
come,  they  endeavor  to  disregard  the  earthly  pres 
ent.     Certainly,  I  would  say,  we  shall  always  have 
a  subject  of  complaint  against  the  depravity  of  hu 
man  society  if  we  have  no  regard  to  the  improve" 
ments  of  our  natural  rights,  the  very  labor  to  which 
God  put  the  human  mind  at  work  with  the  exam 
ple  of  the  astronomical  perfection.     And,  would 
not,  the  justice  of  this  earth,  be  a  good  preparation 
for  the  life  to  cornel — We  cannot  serve  two  Mas 
ters,  they  say. — It  is  not  so,  I  would  answer  :  let 
reason  improve  society  ;  and  we  shall  see,  that  the 
very  Lord  of  the  earth  is  the  same  one  who  form 
ed  the  heaven  :  and  since,  according  their  own 
judgment,  this  earth  is  our  first  voyage  to  celesti 
al  happiness,  let  us  teach  to  the  whole  human  race, 
that  we  do  not  want  tyrants  to  make  us  suffer  here 
below  in  order  to  sanctify  with  martyrdoms  our 
religious  virtues;  but,  having  a  more  charitable 
feeling  towards  the  very  ones,  who,  forgetting  that 
heaven  is  open  for  them  too,  cause  the  harmless 
virtuous  man  to  suffer,  by  a  unanimous  consent 
let  us  stand  all  on  our  rights  with  the  power  of  na 
tural  reason,  with  which  God  gifted  us,  and  force 
those  poor,  and  wretched  tyrants  to  become  on  the 
way  of  a  happy  conscience:  and  plant  flowers 
where  our  idleness  left  growing  thorns,  and  this 
tles. 

Should  we  commit  so  many  faults  without  the 
false  notions  of  our  own  nature  ?  The  theoreti 
cal  moral  we  are  taught  in  our  education,  being 
inconsistent  with  the  theatre  of  human  life,  by 


LORENZO  AND  OOiS  ALASKA.  67 

want  of  this  knowledge,  of  human  heart,  and  of 
ourselves,  we  fall  the  victim  of  our  ignorance. 

The  education  I  received  from  the  embraces  of 
my  dear  mother,  forced  me  to  commit  a  fault, 
Charles,  which  will  bring  me  to  another  still  griev 
ous.  Seeing  from  my  childhood  a  predisposition 
of  revenge,  and  resentment,  she  took  great  pains 
in  inculcating  me  the  heavenly  moral  of  Jesus's 
forgiveness  towards  our  persecutors :  and,  I  be 
came  afterwards  so  enthusiastic  of  such  a  Christian 
virtue,  that  falling  on  my  knees,  I  said  with  O. 
Goldsmith  :  "  And  now  I  see  it  was  more  than  hu 
man  benevolence,  that  first  taught  us  to  bless  our 
enemies."  How  attractive  was  for  me  the  hea 
venly  benevolence  of  Christ !  They  laughed  at, 
mocked,  and  spat  on  his  face ;  and  whilst  he  was 
dying  on  the  cross,  he  asked  pardon  for  the  sins  of 
his  persecutors  !  It  is  grand,  it  is  sublime,  Charles ; 
such  goodness,  it  is  the  self-denial  of  a  God !  And 
whilst  I  write  these  lines,  my  tears  drop  on  this 
paper  for  the  love  of  Jesus  !  Even,  supposed  he 
was  not  the  son  of  God  ;  shall  we  not  feel  grati 
tude  towards  him,  whose  good  intention,  being  for 
the  improvement  of  society,  his  life  had  been  the 
most  striking  example  of  morality  ? 

As  it  was  referred  to  you,  it  is  true,  I  have  been 
insulted :  and,  in  that  moment,  the  angelic  soul  of 
my  dear  mother  being  to  my  imagination  with  such 
an  attractive  influence,  I  did  not  repulse  so  gross 
an  insult.  Besides,  the  villain  provoked  me  with 
such  rascality  of  mean  people,  that  whilst  he  wish 
ed  to  fight,  he  wanted  to  push  me  the  first  to  chal- 


68  LORENZO   AND  OONALASKA, 

lenge  him  for  the  right,  as  the  law  of  duel  prevails, 
of  choosing  the  arms  in  which  he  is  skilful.  So, 
thinking  with  the  following  lines  of  Goldsmith  too, 
I  found  the  divine,  and  civil  reason  coincided  to 
gether  :  "  You  imagine,  perhaps,  that  a  contempt 
of  your  own  life  gives  you  a  right  to  take  that  of 
another  :  but  where,  sir,  is  the  difference  between 
a  duellist,  who  hazards  a  life  of  no  value,  and  the 
murderer  who  acts  with  great  security  1  Is  it  any 
diminution  of  the  gamester's  fraud  when  he  al 
leges  that  he  staked  a  counter  ? " 

All  precepts  might  appear  beautiful  in  theory; 
but,  put  it  into  practice,  you  will  find  it  is  not  so. 
I  learned  afterward,  when  society  does  not  pro 
vide  for  better,  we  ought  not  deviate  from  the  laws 
of  nature.  As  the  Spectator  is  one  of  those  rare 
books  to  whom  civilization  is  very  much  indebted, 
I  shall  not  produce  it  to  you,  as  an  object  of  my 
criticism :  I  would  only  say,  that  the  declaration 
of  his  edict  seems  rather  too  particular  against 
the  challenger,  whikt  he  inflicts  no  punishment  to 
the  aggressor.  It  seems  to  me,  the  rules  of  good 
society,  and  virtuous  conversation  are  inverted  not 
only  from  the  very  moment  that  an  offended  man 
writes  a  cartel ;  but,  we  must  allow  they  have 
been  inverted  from  the  first  slight,  and  trivial, 
as  well  as  great,  and  urgent  provocation.  It  is  noi 
the  challenger  I  would  put  under  the  rigor  of  the 
law,  provided  he  have  a  well  grounded  reason  ;  it. 
is  the  first  provoker,  unless  asks  pardon,  or  ac 
knowledges  his  fault.  As  a  brave  man  cannot  be 
ungenerous,  it  is  too  painful  for  a  polite  society  to 


LORENZO  AND  O^N ALASKA. 

see  impertinents  disregard  a  man  of  honour.  Yes, 
Charles,  since  justice  does  wot  take  an  interested 
part  by  putting  immediately  her  protecting  hand 
without  obliging  one  of  the  antagonists  to  the  base 
act  of  denouncing  his  adversary,  man  is  obliged  to 
defend  his  own  honour,  unless  he  be  the  only  sup 
port  of  a  distressed  family,  or  occupying  an  emi 
nent  post  useful  to  his  country. 

However,  forgiveness  of  injuries  will  never  be 
vile  and  shameful  in  the  judgment  of  the  few  phi 
lanthropists  :  but,  should  Rousseau  have  been  sto 
ned  by  the  populace,  if  they  had  thought  to  meet 
from  himself,  or  from  the  law,  the  due  punishment 
of  their  rascality?  Would  we  find  so  much  po 
liteness,  and  respect  if  cowards  were  not  checked 
by  the  fear  of  meeting  his  man'!  Men  would  be 
like  game-cocks  in  a  yard,  without  such  a  fear. 
But,  let  us  listen  to  Walter  Scott  on  this  subject. 

"  Wise  men  say,  that  we  resign  to  civil  society 
our  natural  rights  of  self-defence,  only  on  condition 
that  the  ordinances  of  law  should  protect  us. 
Where  the  price  cannot  be  paid,  the  resignation 
takes  no  place.  For  instance,  no  one  supposes 
that  I  am  not  entitled  to  defend  my  purse,  and  per 
son  against  a  highwayman,  as  much  as  if  I  were 
a  wild  Indian,  who  owns  neither  law  nor  magis 
tracy.  The  question  of  resistance,  or  submission, 
must  be  determined  by  my  means,  and  situation. 
But,  if  armed,  and  equal  in  force,  I  submit  to  in 
justice,  and  violence  from  any  man,  high  or  low,  I 
presume  it  will  hardly  be  attributed  to  religious,  or 
moral  feeling  in  me,  or  in  any  one  but  a  quaker. 


70  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

An  aggression  on  my  honour  seems  to  be  much  the 
same.    The  insult,  however  trifling  in  itself,  is  one 
of  much  deeper  consequence  to  all  views  of  life, 
than  any  wrong  which  can  be  inflicted  by  a  depre 
dator  on  the  high  way,  and  redress  is  much  less  in 
the  power  of  public  jurisprudence,  or  rather  it  is 
entirely  beyond  reach.     If  any  man  chooses  to 
rob  Arthur  Mervyn  of  the  contents  of  his  purse,  if 
he  has  not  means  of  defence,  or  the  skill,  and  cour 
age  to  use  them,  the  assize  at  Lancaster,  or  Car 
lisle  will  do  him  justice  by  taking  up  the  robber: 
yet,  who  will  say  I  am  bound  to  wait  for  this  jus- 
tice,and  submit  to  be  plundered  in  the  first  instance, 
if  I  have  rnyself  the  means,  and  spirit  to  protect  my 
own  property  \     But,  if  an  affront  is  offered  to  me, 
submission  to  which  is  to  tarnish  my  character  for 
ever  with  men  of  honour,  and  for  which  the  twelve 
judges  of  England,  with  the  chancellor  to  boot,  can 
afford  me  no  redress,  by  what  rule  of  law,  or  reason 
am  I  to  be  deterred  from  protecting  what  ought 
to  be,  and  is  so  infinitely  dearer  to  every  man  of 
honour  than  his  whole  fortune  ?     Of  the  religious 
views  of  the  matter  I  shall  say  nothing,  until  I  find 
a  reverend  divine,  who  shall  condemn  self-defence 
in  the  article  of  life,  and  property.     If  its  proprie 
ty  in  that  case  be  generally  admitted,!  suppose  lit 
tle  distinction  can  be  drawn  between  defence  of 
person  and  goods,  and  defence  of  reputation.  That 
the  latter  is  liable  to  be  assailed  by  persons  of  a 
different  rank  in  life,  untainted  perhaps  in  morals, 
and  fair  in  character,  cannot  effect  my  regal  right 
of  splf-defonce.     I  may  be  sorry  that  circumstan- 


LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA,  71 

ces  have  engaged  me  in  personal  strife  with  such 
an  individual ;  but,  I  should  feel  the  same  sorrow 
for  a  generous  enemy,  who  fell  under  my  sword  in 
a  national  quarrel.  I  shall  leave  the  question 
with  the  casuists,  however,  only  observing,  that 
what  I  have  written,  will  not  avail  the  professed 
duellist,  or  he,  who  is  the  aggressor  in  a  dispute  of 
honour.  I  only  presumeto  exculpate  him,  whom  is 
dragged  into  the  field  by  such  an  offence,  as,  sub 
mitted  to  in  patience,  would  forfeit  for  ever  his 
rank,  and  estimation  in  society." 

But,  the  philosopher,  or  to  explain  myself  with 
a  periphrasis  adapted  to  my  grateful  feeling,  the 
friend  of  my  mind  would  reprove  me  by  doing 
what  my  judgment  disowns.  And  the  following 
Fragment  of  my  friend  Manesca,  will  receive  his 
approbation. 

"  What  a  fine  thing  courage  is !  I  mean  not  that 
courage  which  braces  up  our  energies,  and  ena 
bles  us  to  work  our  way  through  civil  life,  amidst 
the  difficulties  which  assail  our  moral  career ;  that 
courage  which  cheers  us  in  our  industrious  exer 
tions,  and  too  often  unprofitable  labours ;  which  as 
sists  us  in  our  struggles  against  seduction,  rescues 
us  triumphantly  from  the  clutches  of  vice,  and 
guides  us  in  the  narrow  path  of  virtue ; — in  short, 
that  courage  which  sustains  us  with  dignity  in  the 
various  relations  of  husband,  father,  friend,  and  cit 
izen. — No,  I  mean  that  brilliant,  that  dazzling 
courage,  which  prompts  us  to  face  and  receive  a 
bullet,  or  speed  it  through  a  man's  heart,  in  order 
to  demonstrate  that  we  are  men  of  honour.  Hon 
our!  What  is  honour  1  Is  it  not  the  offspring  of 


72  LO  n  r:  N  zo  A  N  i>  OON  A  L ASK  A  . 

public  respect  1 — Can  Mr  X...  be  a  man  of  honour^ 
because  he  has  been  a  principal  in  several  duels? 
Has  he  not  been  twice  a  fraudulent  bankrupt  I — 
Does  he  ever  pay  any  debts  except  those  which  he 
contracts  at  the  gaming  table  I     Is  any  one  igno 
rant  that,  by  his  irregular  conduct,  he  has  precipi 
tated  to  his  grave  an  aged  parent ;  that  he  neglects 
his  children,  and  his  amiable  wife,  whose  property 
he  has  squandered  in  nightly  revels  1     All  this  is 
true  ;  but  Mr  X...  is  at  all  times  ready  to  pull  a  trig 
ger  ;  his  courage  is  doubted  by  no  one :  he  is  an 
honourable  gentleman.     Then,  after  a  long  life  of 
industry,  and  uprightness,  notwithstanding  that  I 
have  strictly  fulfilled  my  duties  as  a  dutiful  son,  a 
tender  husband,  a  prudent  and  kind  father,  a  sin 
cere  friend,  and  an  honest  citizen,  I  am  unworthy 
of  public  respect ;  I  am  a  dishonourable  man,  be 
cause  I  neither  know  how  to  fire  a  pistol,  nor  han 
dle  a  sword';  because  I  neither  wish  to  kill  nor  be 
killed  ;  because  I  tremble  at  the  atrocious  alter 
native  of  being  a  murderer,  or  of  depriving  my  in 
nocent  family  of  their  natural  protector,  and  leav 
ing  them  a  prey  to  misery,  and  burthen  upon  so 
ciety  !     O  reason,  reason,  where  art  thou  I 

"  This,  indeed,  is  most  unreasonable,  it  is  ab 
surd,  but  custom  will  have  it  so:  we  must  submit. 
Custom!  abolish  it  then.  Is  there  any  thing  im 
mutable  but  what  is  written  in  nature's  laws'? 
Ought  not  custom,  anti-social  ridiculous  custom  to 
disappear  at  the  voice  of  reason  and  humanity  ? 

"What  is  custom  but  a  more  or  less  general 
disposition  regularly  to  act  in  certain  circumstan 
ces  \  Custom,  therefore,  is  nothing  but  the  result 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  78 

of  opinion  ;  but  as  the  latter,  however  general,  may 
be  erroneous,  custom  in  an  enlightened  communi 
ty  is  amenable  to  the  tribunal  of  reason. — Opin 
ion  says,  that  gentlemen  should  never  be  suspect 
ed  of  being  deficient  in  courage. — Does  opinion 
say  nothing  else  1  Does  she  not  say,  that  gentle 
men  should  never  have  quarrels  I  Does  she  not 
hold  that  excesses  of  any  kind  are  degrading,  un 
becoming  well  bred  men  I  Does  she  not  bid  a  real 
gentleman  refrain  from  hurting  the  feelings  of  any 
one,  and  insist,  that  should  be  ever  so  far  to  forget 
himself  as  to  offer  an  insult,  a  manly  apology  only 
can  retrieve  his  character  1  In  short,  does  not 
opinion  maintain  that  true  magnanimity  consists 
in  pardoning  offences,  and  that  genuine  honour  can 
be^sulliedby  him  only,  who  possesses  it,  if  he  swerve 
from  the  line  of  conduct  which  has  merited  him 
public  respect  I 

"  Opinion  needs  no  proof  of  the  warlike  courage 
of  any  gentleman,  for  the  plain  reason  that,  except 
in  those  rare  circumstances,  where  national  inde 
pendence  is  threatened,  society  has  nothing  to 
gain  by  the  loss  of  one  of  its  members,  social  order 
should  be  the  pole-star,  of  all  opinions  whether 
private,  or  public  ;  and  warlike  courage  can  be  ra 
tionally  fostered  only  in  the  case  that  it  may  be 
subservient  to  social  interest, 

"A  generous  soldier,  who  exposes,  and  sacrifices 
his  life  for  his  country,  will  ever  be  entitled  to  pub 
lic  respect ;  but,  it  is  yet  to  be  proved  that  a  duel 
list  is  necessarily  a  valiant  warrior :  nay,  many 

have  been  known  to  turn  pale  before  the  com- 
10 


74  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

mon  enemy,  who  confident  in  their  skill  in  taking 
aim,  or  handling  a  sword,  were  notorious  duellists. 
The  famous  St.  George,  in  Paris,  whom  had  been 
forbidden  to  fight  duels,  because  he  was  sure  to  kill 
his  antagonist,  proved  to  be  a  coward  at  the  head 
of  a  regiment  of  horse  which  he  commanded. 

"  That  sort  of  courage  which  prompts  us  to 
brave  death  is  not  natural ;  it  is  a  feverish  state 
to  which  all  men  are  naturally  adversj ;  but,  to 
which  they  all  may  be  stimulated  by  various  ar 
tificial  means,  which  respectively  operate  accord 
ing  to  circumstances,  and  tempers.  The  vain 
gratification  of  winning  the  good  opinion  of  some 
deluded  contemporaries,  is  the  stimulus  which  op 
erates  upon  the  duellist's  brain  ;  a  mercenary  sol 
dier's  courage  may  be  lighted  up  with  a  little  al 
cohol  ;  nothing,  in  short,  of  the  certainty  of  fulfill 
ing  a  sacred  duty  to  his  country  should  stimulate  a 
freeman. 

"  Can  any  one  be  so  simple  as  to  imagine, 
that  the  savage  courage  of  braving  death  is  the 
quality  admired,  and  revered  in  great  warriors  ? 
Many  worthless  fellows  in  the  file,  possess  such  a 
courage  in  a  higher  degree,  than  the  superior,  who 
leads  them  on.  Patient  industry,  unconquerable 
perseverance  through  long,  and  laborious  studies  ; 
a  sacrifice  of  all  vvordly  pleasures,  in  exchange  for 
toils,  cares,  abstemiousness,  anxieties,  and  suffer 
ings  ;  solid  judgment,  prudence,  self-possession, 
great  talents,  still  greater  honesty  ;  such  are  the 
offspring  of  the  courage  which  recommends  heroes 
to  the  veneration  of  ages. 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  75 

"  But,  many  superior  men  have  fought  duels. — 
So  much  the  worse  for  them  :  their  fair  fame,  most 
surely,  is  not  indebted  to  such  deeds.  What  then 
does  the  assertion  prove  ?  It  proves  only,  that 
men  of  superior  order  are  not  free  from  weakness, 
and  that,  in  all  their  actions,  they  are  not  worthy 
of  imitation.  If  superior  men,  who  fight  duels  are 
not  aware  that  opinion,  respecting  that  custom,  is 
erroneous,  they  are  deficient  in  good  sense,  and 
judgment,  two  qualities  without  which  a  man  can 
not  be  truly  great :  if,  on  the  contrary,  they  know 
it  to  be  wrong,  they  are  doubly  guilty  in  yielding 
to  its  mischievous  caprice,  when  they  should  be 
the  first  to  resist  and  correct  it. 

"A  young  man  was  heard  to  ask  whether  Na 
poleon  was  not  a  great  master  at  the  broad  sword. 
Such  are  the  silly  notions  which  are  too  common 
ly  entertained  about  great  men.  Napoleon  never 
fought  a  duel.  He  dared  in  his  youth,  to  set  at 
defiance  the  brutish  custom,  and  braved  the  scorn 
of  his  fellow  officers ;  the  pretenders  to  despise 
him — where  are  they  I 

"  Washington,  greater  than  Napoleon, — since 
his  genius  will,  in  the  end,  more  generally  obtain 
the  veneration  of  mankind, — Washington  never 
fought  a  duel ;  nay,  it  is  well  known,  that  he  once 
made  an  unasked  for  apology  to  a  person  whose 
feelings,  he  thought,  he  had  wounded.  Franklin 
did  not  fight  duels ;  yet  Franklin  was  a  gentle 
man,  as  well  as  a  statesman,  and  philosopher. 
Perhaps  he  had  never  occasion  to  fight.  Well, 
let  genuine  gentlemen  in  our  days  imitate  him; 


76  LORENZO  AND   OONALASKA. 

let  them  prove  their  good  breeding  by  scrupulous 
ly  shunning  all  circumstances  which  might  involve 
them  in  those  despicable  transactions  ;  or,  if  un 
fortunately  precipitated  in  those  anti-social  p  ro- 
ceedings,  let  them  adopt  means  of  conciliation 
which  may  spare  a  family  the  loss  of  a  father  or 
husband,  and  society  a  useful  citizen,  which  will 
insure  them  the  gratitude,  and  respect  of  the  so 
ber  portion  of  the  community. 

"  But,  it  is  not  to  be  expected  that  the  mere  ef 
forts  of  the  individuals  eventually  concerned  in 
these  sad  affairs,  will  be  sufficient  to  put  an  end 
to  the  atrocious  custom.  Opinion  which  fosters 
it,  should  be  resolutely  assailed,  and  shamed  out 
of  the  social  pale.  Novelists,  poets,  dramatists, 
and  writers  in  general,  should  join  hand  in  hand 
in  this  holy  crusade.  A  great  deal  might  be  a- 
chieved  in  this  reform  of  public  opinion,  by  those, 
who  have  the  charge  of  the  education  of  youth, 
by  the  heads  of  families,  and  particularly  mothers. 

"Women,  O  women J  what  could  you  not  do? 
Like  the  sun's  rays  upon  nature,  your  influence  in 
society  is  irresistible  ;  let  it  ever  be  vivifying,  and 
cheering.  O  ye,  who  give  us  life,  never  suffer 
death  to  emanate  from  you,  and  by  more  than  one 
attribute,  resemble  the  beautiful  luminary  to  which 
we  dare  to  compare  you." 

It  is  with  an  edifying  feeling  I  see  in  some  cor 
ners  of  the  world  the  people  listening  with  an  anx 
ious  ear  the  wishes  of  benevolent  philosophers  • 
and  time,  in  spite  of  legislators  forgetful  of  their 
duty,  bringing  the  nations  to  more  extensive  in- 


LORENZO   AND  OONALASKA.  77 

struction,  will  blot  out  the  custom  of  duels  as  it 
has  been  done  in  regard  to  the  vain  glory  of  knights 
fighting  in  the  arenabefore  the  object  of  their  love. 
Nay:  though  it  is  with  sorrow  of  mind  we  find, 
in  some  countries,  people  going  as  spectators  of 
such  single  combats,  others,  where  the  public  opin 
ion  is  more  enlightened,  in  spite  of  the  law  not 
pursuing  such  kind  of  murders,  still,  shameful  of 
such  a  ferocious  act,  they  go  concealed  fighting  in 
the  most  remote  woods.  But,  as  we  are  obliged 
to  dress  ourselves  according  to  fashion  if  we  want 
not  to  appear  ridiculous,  so  a  man,  whose  fortune 
depends  from  the  respect  of  little  minded  plurali 
ty,  is  forced  to  do  what  his  reason  disapproves. 
Besides,  how  can  a  man,  not  only  dependent,  but 
exiled,  abandoned,  unknown,  poor,  and  friendless 
in  a  strange  country,  scorn  the  general  custom? 
I  shall  never  forget  the  poor  unprotected  Jews  of 
my  still  poorer  country,  whom  the  greater  part  of 
Christians  think  it  lawful  to  insult.  Yes,  Charles, 
one  day  I  could  not  refrain  from  rescuing  a  poor 
old  Jew  from  the  persecution  of  my  school  com 
panions  ! 

But,  why  shall  I  allege  so  many  reasons,  Charles, 
when  my  own  example  proves  the  evidence  of  my 
argument  1  After  having  endured  so  gross  an  af 
front,  they  had  so  scornful  an  idea  of  me,  that  eve 
ry  wicked  creature  did  not  lose  the  opportunity  of 
showing  his  false  bravery  with  petty  insults.  And 
what  would  you  say,  Charles,  should  I  tell  you,  that 
villian,  wh  )  insulted  me,  has  been  imboldened  by 
hearing  fro  m  others,  that  I  had  been  much  indul- 


78  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

gent  in  forgiving  the  impoliteness  of  two  others  be 
fore  him  1  Addison  writing  about  the  customs  of 
his  time,  which  were  in  many  respects  the  same 
as  ours,  says :  "  The  great  point  of  honour  in  man 
is  courage,  and  in  woman  chastity.  If  a  man  lo 
ses  his  honour  in  one  rencounter,  it  is  not  impos 
sible  for  him  to  regain  it  in  another  ;  a  slip  in  a 
woman's  honour  is  irrecoverable."  The  moral 
Addison,  conscious  of  the  false  notions  of  his  age, 
added  :  "  I  can  give  no  reason  for  fixing  the  point 
of  honour  to  these  two  qualities,  unless  it  be,  that 
each  sex  sets  the  greatest  value  on  the  qualifica 
tion  which  renders  them  the  most  amiable  in  the 
eyes  of  the  contrary  sex.  Had  men  chosen  for 
themselves,  without  regard  to  the  opinions  of  the 
fair  sex,  I  should  believe  the  choice  would  have 
fallen  on  wisdom,  or  virtue  ;  or  had  women  deter 
mined  their  own  point  of  honour,  it  is  probable  that 
wit  or  good  nature  would  have  carried  it  against 
chastity."  So,  whilst  I  was  displeased  in  seeing 
the  severity  of  society  towards  women,  whose  fault 
might  be  caused  either  from  disinterested  love, 
want  of  judgment,  or  innocence,  finding  that  the 
first  opportunity  would  have  carried  me  to  recov 
er  my  honour  with  so  little  an  expense,  that,  in  meet- 
ing  in  the  street  the  first  rascal,  who  thought  to 
mock  me  with  impunity,  I  pulled  off  my  coat,  and 
boxed  him  with  such  alacrity,  that,  though  he  was 
a  bulky  man,  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  him 
on  the  ground  without,  however,  any  mortal  inju 
ry  :  So,  the  very  mob,  Charles,  who  would  have 
scorned  me  if  1  had  proceeded  my  way  without 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  79 

resentment,  after  the  fight,  they  were  inclined  to 
bring  me  in  triumph. 

But,  what  shall  I  conclude  after  so  long  a  let 
ter  ?  Charles,  when  I  was  in  the  arms  of  my  dear 
mother,  I  esteemed  men,  and  myself:  the  rascali 
ties  I  met  afterwards  on  the  theatre  of  life,  whilst 
they  obliged  me  to  pity  myself,  caused  me  to  de 
spise  the  whole  human  race  :  but,  after  a  long  re 
flection,  finding  human  kind  under  improvements, 
though  yet  we  are  very  far  from  deserving  the  hon 
ourable  title  of  rational,  or  sociable  creatures  for 
which  it  seems  we  have  been  called  on  earth,  still 
I  begin  to  feel  highly  of  man.  But,  until  the  mass 
of  the  people,  in  getting  better  judgment  will  have 
provided  for  better  laws  on  the  subject  of  duels, 
some  individuals  might  be  under  obligations  to 
stand  before  death,  rather  to  suffer  an  injury  to 
their  reputation. 

LORENZO. 


TO  LORENZO. 

Geneva. 

Do  ye  imagine  to  reprove  words,  and  the  speeches  of  one 
that  is  desperate,  which  are  as  wind  ?  Job. 

Do  not  believe  ^our  soul  mortal,  Lorenzo  :  I  do 
not  pretend  to  defend  one  creed  more  than  another ; 
but,  for  wrhat  purpose  could  nature  have  given  us 
a  life  so  toilsome,  and  afterwards  take  it  away  for 
ever?  O,  this  spirit  which  I  feel  within  me,  pant 
ing  for  immortality  is  fit  to  worship  God :  he  may 


80  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

have  created  in  other  planets,  beings  more  sublime 
than  man  ;  but,  the  wish,  and  imagination  able  to 
understand  the  divine  idea  of  the  infinite,  is  e~ 
nough  to  make  us  believe  we  are  fit  for  an  eternity. 
When  I  think  of  the  greatness  of  this  creation  my 
mind  would  pass  through  the  immense  space  of 
the  ether,  where  the  vail  of  my  ignorance  would 
be  taken  from  my  eyes,  and  contemplate  the  mys 
terious  incantation. 

OONALASKA. 


A  FRAGMENT  FROM  LORENZO. 

Paris, 

Any  one  may  do  a  casual  act  of  good  nature,  but  a  contin 
uation  of  them  shows  it  is  a  part  of  the  temperature ;  and  cer 
tainly,  added  I,  if  it  is  the  same  blood  which  descends  to  the 
extremes,  touching  her  wrist,  I  am  sure  you  must  have  one  of 
the  best  pulses  of  any  woman  in  the  world.  Sterne. 

She  was  knitting  at  the  door  of  her  shop  :  her 
smile  reminded  rne  of  my  candid  sisters,  whose 
acute  sight  was  reading  my  heart's  most  secret 
thoughts.  She  rose  from  her  chair ;  and  with  a 
kind-hearted  look  asked  me  if  I  wished  to  look  at 
any  thing. — I  come  to  buy  something,  madam, 
which  I  have  entirely  forgotten. — You  must  have 
a  great  deal  of  business,  sir,  sit  down. — She  re 
sumed  her  work,  blushed,  and  remained  silent  for 
some  time 

It  seems  by  the  above,  and  following  letters, 
that  many  of  it  must  have  been  lost. 


LORENZO  AND  OOIV  ALASKA.  81 

TO  LORENZO. 

Lausanne. 

J'ailes  yeux  sanscesse  fixes  sur  les  montagnes  qui  separent 
la  Suisse  de  la  France ;  il  vit  par  dela,  mais  il  ne  m'a  point  oub- 
Iie6:  la  douceur  de  mes  pensees  me  Passure.  Quand  je  me 
prom&ne  sous  les  routes  de  la  nuit,  mes  regrets  ne  sont  point 
amers,  et  s'il  avait  cesse  de  m'  aimer  le  frissonnement  de  la 
mort  m'  en  aurait  avertie.  Mad.  Destael. 

Thou  thoughtest  of  me !  Every  time  I  walked 
through  these  delightful  fields,  I  did  the  same,  and 
thy  memory  endeared  my  life.  My  heart  embra- 
ced  all  nature,  and  nature  smiled  on  me.  How 
many  times  I  sent  my  heart  to  thee  on  the  wmgs 
of  my  thought,  and  then  I  felt  the  ambrosia  exha 
ling  from  the  plants,  and  a  zephyr  caressing  my 
forehead.  If  our  souls  were  not  immortal  would 
I  have  felt  such  sympathy  I  When  on  the  moun 
tains  of  Swizerland  thou  feltest  an  inebriate  plea 
sure  of  divinity,  it  was  thy  soul,  which  flying  to  me 
made  me  feel  the  joy  thou  wishedest  impart  tome. 

OONALASKA. 


TO  OONALASKA. 

Ingouville. 

Tu  m'  appeleras  toujours  quand  tu  seras  seule.  Plusieurs 
fois  tu  repeteras  le  nom  de  Leonce,  et  Leonce  recueillera  peut- 
*tre  dans  les  airs  les  accens  de  son  amie.  Destael. 

That  which  most  deeply  wounds  my  feeling,  is 
to  see  moral  perverted  by  the  hand  of  men,  who, 
under  the  cloak  of  piety,  slander  those,  whom  they 

believe  in    contradiction    with    their    hvpocrisy. 
11 


82  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

However,  I  think  with  Destael:  "Je  dedaigne 
ceux  qui  me  blameront;  ils  ne  m'atteindront  pas 
dans  Pasile  de  mon  cceur  ou  je  suis  content  de 
moi ;  ils  n'ebranleront  point  cette  parfaite  convic 
tion  de  1'esprit  qui  est  aussi  une  conscience  pour 
I'homme  eclaire."  I  have  some  moments,  Oona- 
laska,  in  which,  by  want  of  your  company,  who 
would  partake  my  sentiments,  the  above  conviction 
not  only  is  not  sufficient;  but,  instead  of  pouring 
the  balm  of  life  into  the  wound  with  which  false 
piety  has  deeply  poisened  the  vital  centre  of  my 
heart,  it  does  oftener  exacerbate  it,  in  thinking  my 
self-denial  led  me  a  victim  of  monsters  in  human 
shapes. 

Every  thing  in  your  possession  must  turn  in  your 
favour,  because  a  society  dreaming  nothing  but 
wealth,  forgive  even  your  virtue,  which  is  a  re 
proach  for  them.  But,  I  poor,  without  other  mer 
it  in  the  world  but  the  good  intention  of  practising 
virtue,  I  would  bring  into  your  private  family  but 
the  envy  of  the  wicked  without  number.  "The 
world  is  made  for  Caesar,"  exclaimed  the  virtuous 
Cato,  few  moments  before  his  glorious  death  :  in 
our  age  we  may  say,  the  world  is  made  for  wealthy 
people. 

When  troublesome  thoughts  will  agitate  thee, 
look  upon  the  star  which  precedes  the  day  break  : 
often  I  do  the  same,  and  then  I  feel  relieved. 

It  is  a  religion  for  every  body :  it  does  not  re 
side  in  books ;  it  speaks  in  our  hearts,  and  tells 
us  this  sufficient  precept:  Love  thy  fellow  crea 
ture.  Because  our  ancestors  began  human  soci- 


LORENZO  AND  OOINALASKA.  83 

ety  with  superstions,  some  of  our  legislators  be 
lieve  it  cannot  be  otherwise  ;  and  consider  every 
body  wicked,  because  in  spite  of  Solon,  Lycurgus, 
Brutus,  Cato,  Machiavel,Bentharn,  we  are  still  not 
better  than  the  time  of  Moses.  But,  I  would  ask 
only  one  single  question  :  Has  the  people  been 
ruled  by  the  laws  of  the  above  legislators,  or  by 
that  of  Moses  I  Nay  ;  because  our  forefather's 
government  was  a  perfect  theocracy  they  are  led 
to  conclude  that  the  foundations  of  human  laws 
should  be  grounded  on  those  principles,  and  think 
it  cannot  be  otherwise  since  it  had  always  been  so. 
Then,  they  call  the  man  a  wicked  creature,  without 
thinking  that  all  human  faults  originate  in  a  ne 
glected  education.  They  are  like  that  father,  who, 
whilst  obliges  his  sons  to  perish  by  hunger,  up 
braids  them  because  they  cannot  stand  up. 

Man  is  but  the  creature  of  his  habits :  and,  we 
find  slaves,  after  having  received  liberty,  to  submit 
themselves  again  to  their  own  masters.  When 
will  man  enjoy  the  confederacy  of  man  ? — Then, 
our  posterity  in  reading  history  will  conceive  all 
the  horrours  of  our  situation.  If  I  have  the  hap 
piness  of  seeing  the  dawn  of  so  fortunate  a  day, 
I  would  not  complain  on  my  death  bed  of  the  in 
gratitude  of  my  fellow  Beings:  I  would  carry  to 
my  grave  the  idea,  that  I  shall  not  be  entirely  for 
gotten. 

It  is  no  wonder  if  we  are  continually  in  war ; 
since,  spoiled  from  contrarieties  without  number, 
we  must  feel  our  wicked  selfishness  from  the  bo 
som  of  our  mothers.  Thence,  sensibility  becomes 


84  LORENZO   AND  OONALASKA. 

a  fatal  gift  when  we  are  forced  to  live  with  people 
with  a  little  heart ;  love,  which  endears  life,  be 
comes  an  object  of  calculation,  and  friendship  a 
hypocritical  name. 

The  original  sin,  Oonalaska,  is  the  want  of  ed 
ucation.  Reason  is  a  star  which  leads  us  to 
virtue  :  and  although  she  cannot  reach  her  desti 
nation  soon  as  we  would,  she  always  leaves  on  her 
way  the  brilliant  traces  of  her  painful,  and  noble 
career :  nothing  deserving  reproach  on  the  grave 
of  her  sons. 

Havre  is  built  on  a  marsh  ;  and  the  harbour  be 
ing  surrounded  of  a  rampart,!  am  obliged  to  climb 
the  hill  of  Ingouville  whenever  I  wish  to  contem 
plate  the  beauties  of  nature.  What  fine  month 
of  November ! 

1  prove  a  very  singular  sensation  every  time  I 
present  myself  in  a  hotel  in  which  hospitality  is 
given  with  more,  or  less  kindness  according  to  the 
extensiveness  of  your  purse.  They  measure  all 
travellers  from  foot  to  cap  ;  and  elevate  them  to 
wards  heaven,  according  to  the  exterior  appear 
ances  of  their  travelling  expenses.  Such  is  their 
acuteness,  that  they  are  seldom  found  putting  a 
Lord  on  the  seventh,  or  a  Burgess  on  the  first  floor ; 
so  that,  from  the  first  floor  to  the  garret,  where  all 
pedestrians  are  confounded,  you  would  know  the 
standing  of  each  traveller  in  society  by  the  sever 
al  degrees  of  their  rooms :  and  the  landlord  is 
more  or  less  cheerful  with  you,  according  to  the 
quantity  of  money  you  spend.  If  in  the  New- world 
J  shall  not  find  better  people,  I  will  go  on  the  top 


LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA,  85 

of  a  mountain  to  breathe  the  air  embalmed  with 
flowers. 

Yesterday  evening  I  clambered  up  the  hill  to  the 
light  houses :  I  set  near  a  ravine  where  the  sea 
touches  the  foot.  A  light  north  wind  was  driving 
a  great  many  ships  on  the  lee  shore  of  France. 
Crows,  and  eagles  were  hovering,  when  I  saw  a 
pigeon  preceding  a  vessel:  perhaps  that  bird  was 
bringing  news  to  some  more  happy  than  I  in 
France. ...More  happy  than  I?. ..Although  alone, 
thy  image  is  always  with  me. 

The  sinking  sun  told  me  I  must  leave  that  place  : 
I  had  yet  two  hours  of  walk  to  reach  Havre,  and 
no  more  than  an  hour  of  day.  As  I  wanted  to  see 
the  sun  sinking  in  the  flood,  in  going  back  I  took 
another  road.  I  gave  him  the  good  night,  and 
reached  the  hotel  at  dinner  time. 

After  my  solitary  reflections  on  the  top  of  a  hill. 
I  do  not  like  to  see  at  the  table,  fops  fond  of  dis 
tinguishing  themselves  by  causing  the  servants  to 
feel  their  inferiority  before  them.  It  seems  they  sit 
at  the  table  of  four  francs,  not  to  satisfy  their  want; 
but,  to  play  the  gentlemen. 

To-day  a  captain  of  a  vessel,  father  of  a  large 
family,  having  some  difficulties  with  a  man  of  the 
vexing  custom-house,  brought  the  quarrel  to  a  du 
el  :  he  was  killed  instantly.  The  officer  of  the 
custom-house  is  not  persecuted  by  the  law. 

There  is  a  pleasure  in  sorrow :  it  is  the  shiv 
ering  mixt  with  tears  in  the  very  moment  we 
are  quitting,  perhaps  for  ever,  persons  worthy 
our  friendship  :  the  last  day  of  a  man  with  pure 


86  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

conscience,  must  be  the  moment  of  his  happi 
ness. 

Farewell,  Oonalaska  :  do  not  be  afraid  for  me  : 
the  passage  I  undertake  now,  is  very  well  known. 
How  sublime  is  the  ocean  !  When  the  shore  ot 
France  will  have  disappeared  from  my  sight,  still, 
I  will  give  thee  the  good-bye. 

I  cannot  proceed  longer  ;  the  vessel  is  now  rea 
dy  tp  start. 

LORENZO. 

It  seems  here  some  other  letters  must  have 
been  lost. 


TO  CHARLES. 

Philadelphia* 

Or  qual  estranea  mai  lontana  terra, 
E  selvaggia,  ed  inospita  pur  sia, 
Increscer  puote  a  chi  la  propria  vede     . 
Schiava  di  crude,  ed  assolute  voglie  ?       Alfieri. 

I  cannot  describe  the  painful  feeling  occasioned 
by  being  far  from  the  remains  of  my  distressed  fa 
mily.  It  is  not  the  tyrants  of  my  country  1  left 
under  that  blue  sky  ;  it  is  the  dear  house  of  my 
father.  I  may  say  now  with  Petrarc  : 

"  Exul  ab  Italia  furiis  civilibus  actus 
Hue  subii,  partimque  volens,  partimque  coactus. 
Hie  nemus,  hie  amnes,  hie  otia  ruris  amceni: 
Sed,  fidi  comites  absunt  vultusque  sereni." 

Nobody  will  impart  to  me  the  affection  I  enjoy 
ed  from  mv  father,  mother,  brothers,  and  sisters. 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  87 

The  whole  world  seems  to  me  a  desert  now :  where 
shall  1  find  a  friend  to  whom  I  might  communicate 
my  sufferings?. ..However,  I  walk  this  wide  world 
thinking  with  Casirnir  Bonjour  : 

"  Je  sais  qu'il  est  beaucoup  d'ames  interess^es, 
Que  1'argent  est  au  fond  de  toutes  les  pens^es; 
Mais,  j'ose  1'assurer,  il  est  de  nobles  cosurs." 

In  answer  to  your  letter,  dear  Charles,  certain 
ly  no  nation  deserves  the  consideration  of  a  civil 
ized  one,  if  she,  in  spite  of  discordant  supersti 
tion,  does  not  honour,  and  help  the  true,  moral, 
unsuperstitious,  sincere,  and  innocent  man.— • 
Cowper  says : 

"  The  only  amaranthine  flower  on  earth 
Is  virtue;  the  only  lasting  treasure,  truth." 

LORENZO 


TO  OONALASKA. 

Philadelphia. 

As  the  persecuted  seek  refuge  at  the  shrine,  so  they  recog 
nised  in  the  altar  of  their  love  an  asylum  from  the  sorrows  of 
earth.  Bulwer. 

By  the  interference  of  Charles,  I  received  your 
letter.  If  there  is  any  disgusting  sensation,  it  is 
the  recollection  of  those  who  were  ungrateful  to 
us.  I  had  formed  an  idea  too  sublime  of  man ; 
but,  how  humiliating  is  the  selfishness  of  human 
species ! 


88  LOBENZO  AND  OON ALASKA. 

"Ubique  pavor,  et  plurima  mortis  imago," 

Says  Virgil.    However,  I  thank  the  heavenly  Hope 
for  having  led  me  by  the  hand  through  this  life  of 
dangers ;  and  told  me  I  shall  find  the  virtue  I  am 
seeking  for. 

I  found  myself  alone  on  a  barren  rock  surround 
ed  by  a  sea  without  end  ;  and  the  fainting  light  of 
virtue,  agreeable  delusion  of  my  passed  life,  was 
now  too  far  away.  Every  day  I  felt  my  chains 
more  and  more  heavy.  When  a  supernatural 
strength  overwhelms  us,  courage  fails.  What  a- 
vails  to  struggle  for  life,  when  the  wound  is  mor 
tal  1  Why,  my  God,  said  I,  didst  thou  create  me 
but  for  sufferings  I  Hast  thou  made  the  world 
only  for  my  oppressors  1  O !  your  letter,  Oona- 
laska,  has  changed  rny  sufferings  of  hell  into  the 
enjoyments  of  Eden! 

Poor  Malvina  !  Yesterday  she  was  shining  like 
the  sun  ;  and  now,  under  ground  '.....All  this  smil 
ing  family  of  plants  which  surrounds  her  grave, 
does  not  now  cheer  her  sensibility ;  and  tears  can 
warm  her  bosom  no  more  ! 

Excuse  me,  my  love,  if  I  do  not  write  to  thee  on 
the  manners  and  customs  of  this  nation:  excuse  rne, 
if  I  do  not  describe  to  thee  these  fine  mountains: 
every  thing  is  sublime  because  I  am  thinking  of 
thee.  Yes,  this  beautiful  nature  should  be  a  de 
sert  without  the  thought  of  thy  love  :  every  time  I 
am  occupied  in  something,  I  see  only  thy  inspir 
ing  image  :  and  how  could  I  be  able  to  write  were 
it  not  about  thy  amiability.  Very  often,  absorbed 
in  the  fine  ideal  which  surrounds  thee,  my  pen  falls, 
believing  thou  art  in  my  presence. 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASfcA.  8 

P.  S.  The  sun  was  sinking  when  the  groom 
came  to  tell  me,  my  horse  was  ready.  I  had  for 
gotten,  that  I  gave  him  order  to  do  so However 

the  moon  is  up,  and  I  have  no  more  than  about  15 
miles  to  reach  my  society  in  the  country. 

Every  evening  I  contemplate  the  planet  which 
shines  in  the  twilight :  when  at  ten  o'clock  it  leaves 
our  horizon,  I  feel  the  sensations  I  had  when  I  bade 
thee  farewell :  it  is  as  pretty  as  thy  thought.  Dear 
Oonalaska,  look  at  it  also,  when  quivering  it  bids 
thee  good  night.  It  appears  to  me  I  am  still  with 
thee  walking  around  by  the  lake  of  Geneva  with  thy 
arm  linked  in  mine,  gazing  at  the  silent  moon.... 
Well,  the  groom  tells  me  the  vessel  will  not  start 
from  America  to  France  in  a  week  ;  so  that,  I  will 
not  yet  seal  this  letter. 

P.  S.  Yesterday,  seeing  all  society  smiling  at 
my  distractions,  however  they  are  kind  to  me,  and 
at  that  moment  hearing  to  strike  ten  o'clock,  I  hur 
ried  out,  without  taking  leave,  with  the  intention  of 
going  back,  after  having  gazed  on  the  lovely  plan 
et.  The  harmony  of  the  sky  bringing  to  my  mind 
so  delightful  an  idea  of  thee,  I  proceeded  home 
ward  without  my  hat,  fearing  the  presence  of  any 
body  else  should  have  interrupted  the  lovely  senti 
ment  1  proved  in  that  moment :  the  dream  I  had 
of  thee  the  last  night  was  heavenly  as  thy  smile, 
I  shall  attempt  in  another  letter  to  describe  it. 

P.  S.  To-night  the  planet,  which  calls  me  to 
happiness,  disappeared  above  the  clouds,  leaving 
me  in  darkness,  and  bitterness. 

LORENZO, 

12 


90  LOKENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

TO  HIS  BROTHER  HIPPOLITUS. 

Philadelphia. 

Quand  on  veut  consacrer  des  livres  au  vrai  bien  de  la  patrie^ 
il  ne  faut  point  les  composer  dans  son  sein. 

/.  /.  Rousseau. 

Do  not  yet  attempt  to  emulate  the  splendid  style 
of  any  author,  who  has  dazzled  you  :  your  tender 
age  is  not  fit  to  follow  the  eagle  in  his  flight.  No 
strong  passion  if  you  do  not  feel  it :  write  according 
to  your  own  heart.  Your  age  is  only  fit  for  an  in 
genious  sensibility  ,which  is  always  agreeable  when 
you  exhibit  it  in  its  natural  simplicity  :  no  excla 
mations;  no  tropes,  no  figures:  write  as  if  you 
were  explaining  your  feeling  with  the  sincerity  of 
a  soul  before  the  Great  Judge  of  human  secrets  ; 
and  your  writing  will  be  eloquent. 

If  you  wish  to  run  the  difficult  career  of  learn 
ing,  form  your  heart,  and  nothing  will  be  wanting: 
but,  if  we  do  not  feel  in  ourselves  nobility,  and  su 
blimity  of  mind,  the  attempt  will  be  always  a  dis 
graceful  one  :  it  is  the  fire  of  heaven  alone,  which 
can  purify  the  mind  of  man.  *  Europe,  my  dear 
brother,  swarms  now  too  much  with  pretensions 
to  learning :  but,  if  the  writer's  aim  is  not  that  of 
being  useful  to  society,  this  noble  art  is  nothing 
but  a  profane  prattle. 

When  you  have  finished  the  course  of  your  stu 
dies,  if  you  don't  feel  yourself  able  to  soar  towards 
the  sun,  you  may  turn  your  thoughts  elsewhere. 
In  whatever  situation  a  man  finds  himself,  either 
of  mind,  or  fortune,  he  may  be  always  happy,  if  he 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA,  91 

do  not  swerve  from  the  knowledge  of  himself,  right, 
and  honesty.  As  we  can  always  distinguish  the 
beginning  of  the  day,  even  in  the  most  cloudy 
weather,  so,  in  spite  of  wicked  enemies,  virtue  will 
always  have  the  consideration,  and  esteem  of  eve 
ry  nation.  It  is  not  an  elevated  occupation,  which 
gives  consideration  to  man  ;  it  is  the  little,  perform 
ed  with  integrity :  and,  should  there  be  no  suitable 
judges  for  your  actions,  comfort  yourself  in  your 
superiority,  and  always  endeavor  to  become  bet 
ter.  "  Knowledge  will  always  predominate  over 
ignorance,  as  man  governs  the  other  animals,"  says 
Johnson. 

Do  not  bewail  our  situation,  dear  Hippolitus: 
man  is  born  to  undergo  inconveniences :  misfor 
tune  is  a  great  school  for  those,  who  are  wise  to 
learn  from  it :  a  life  spent  among  books  in  all  the 
comforts  of  the  closet,  may  fit  a  man  for  becom 
ing  an  astronomer,  or  artist ;  but,  he  will  be  al 
ways  ignorant  of  himself,  and  of  the  human  heart. 
It  is  true,  that  when  we  reach  the  knowledge  of 
it,  we  would  desire  to  retrograde  to  the  sports  of 
our  infancy,  in  \\hfch  we  believed  all  men  had  to 
wards  us  the  very  affection  of  our  father,  and  mo 
ther  :  but,  who  would  desire  this  happy  ignorance 
when  we  find  ourselves  daily  obliged  to  have  some 
thing  to  do  with  them  1 

If  you  feel  in  yourself  the  demon  of  genius,  you 
will  have  nothing  in  your  life  but  cares,  and  dis 
gusts.  The  way  to  glory  is  easy  among  people, 
who  enjoy  a  real  liberty :  but,  if  you  speak  truth 
where  despotism  reigns,  you  have  nothing  to  ex- 


92  LORENZO  AND  OONALA8KA. 

pect  but  ingratitude.  Who  would  believe,  Hip-, 
politus,  that  Volney,  that  great  luminary  of  human 
reason  is  yet  slandered  after  his  grave  I  And,  did 
he  write  any  thing  but  to  teach  us  the  means  of 
being  happy,  and  honest  on  earth?  These  few 
lines  are  sufficient  to  show  his  integrity.  "  Re- 
cherchez  des  lois  que  la  nature  a  posces  en  nous 
pour  nous  diriger,  et  dressez-en  1'authentique,  et 
immuable  code  ;  mais,  que  ce  ne  soit  plus  pour  une 
seule  nation,  pour  une  seule  famille ;  que  ce  soit 
pour  nous  tous  sans  exception  !  Soyez  le  legisla- 
teur  de  tout  le  genre,  humain,  ainsi  que  vous  seriez 
Finterperte  de  la  merne  nature,  montrez-nous  la 
ligne  qui  separe  le  monde  des  chimeres  de  celui 
des  realites,  et  enseignez-nous,  apres  tant  de 
religions,  d'illusions,  et  d'erreurs,  la  religion  de 
1' evidence,  et  de  la  verite."  But,  it  is  not  only  our 
misunderstood  creed,  which  persecutes  the  benev^ 
olent  .philosophy  ;  so  Pananti :  "  Maometto  e  ii 
piii  gran  nemico  che  la  ragione  umana  abbia  avu- 
to.  Uomini  pieni  del  suo  feroce  spirito  esclama- 
rono  che  Dio  punirebbe  il  Califfo  al  Mamon  per 
avere  appellato  nei  suoi  stati  le  ficienze  a  detrimen- 
to  della  santa  ignoranza  raccomandata  ai  veri  cre- 
denti :  e  che,  se  qualcuno  osasse  imitarlo,  impalar 
si  doveva,  e  di  Tribu  in  Tribii  trasportarlo,  pre- 
ceduto  da  tin  Araldo,  che  andasse  ad  alta  vocegri- 
dando :  Ecco  quale  e  stato,  e  quale  sara  il  guider- 
done  dell'  empio,  che  preferisce  la  Filosofia  alia 
Tradizione,  e  la  sua  superba  Ragione  ai  precetti 
del  divino  Koran."  However  the  martyrs  of  Rea 
son  will  prevail  on  the  martyrs  of  superstition.  So 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  93 

Franklin  :  "  It  is  only  by  degrees  that  the  great 
body  of  mankind  can  be  led  into  new  practises, 
however  salutary  their  tendency.  It  is  now  near 
ly  eighty  years,  since  inoculation  was  introduced 
into  Europe  and  America,  and  it  is  so  far  from  be 
ing  general  at  present,  that  it  will,  perhaps,  require 
one,  or  two  centuries  to  render  it  so." 

The  glory  of  fame  is  a  very  trifling  thing,  since 
there  are  few,  who  in  reality  admire  the  worthy 
work  of  a  great  man  ;  So  Bulwer :  "  Often,  when 
in  the  fever  of  the  midnight,  I  have  paused  from 
my  unshared,  and  unsoftened  studies,  to  listen  to 
the  deadly  pulsation  of  my  heart,  when  I  have  felt 
in  its  painful,  and  tumultuous  beating  the  very  life 
warning,  and  wasting  within  me,  I  have  sickened 
to  my  inmost  soul  to  remember,  that  amongst  all 
those,  whom  I  was  exhausting  the  health,  and  en 
joyment  of  youth  to  benefit,  there  was  not  one 
from  whom  my  life  had  an  interest,  or  by  whom  my 
death  would  be  honoured  by  a  tear."  Again,  a 
genius  like  that  of  Homer  will  have  very  little  con 
sideration,  when  his  book  is  among  a  thousand 
others  equal  to  it^f  There  is  no  human  strength 
which  can  scorn  the  power  of  time. 

But,  if  in  spite  of  your  happiness  you  wish  to 
show  to  the  people  among  whom  you  live,  that  they 
are  far  from  deserving  the  approbation  of  a  wor 
thy  society,  you  ought  to  recollect,  that  the  boys 
of  an  academy  have  very  little  friendship  towards 
their  teacher  for  no  other  reason  than  that,  he  is 
in  the  habit  of  correcting  their  faults.  What  are 
men  among  vicious  laws! — Large  boys  hardened 


94  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

in  their  vices.  They  will  grant  you  every  justice, 
or  injustice  against  others;  but,  if  you  do  not  vilely 
flatter  their  own  faults,  and  self-interest,  they  will 
become  your  enemies.  See,  even  among  repub 
lics,  the  many  are  attached  to  the  richest  party, 
because  they  fear  to  lose  their  direct  interest  with 
the  wealthy  people.  Ignorance  is  deceived  by 
want  of  knowing  a  gentleman  among  cunning  ras 
cals:  and  you  would  hear  in  America,  men  calling 
those  Yankees,  whom  they  dislike,  whilst  they  are 
Yankees  themselves  in  all  the  extensiveness  of  the 
term.  As  I  suppose  you  are  not  acquainted  with 
this  word,  I  will  endeavour  to  explain  it  to  you. 

Hearing  in  this  country  to  utter  the  word  Yan 
kee  with  contempt, I  referred  to  the  American  dic 
tionary,  in  which  it  is  said,  the  Indians,  or  origina 
ted  savages  of  America,  in  consequence  of  being 
unable  to  pronounce  the  word  English,  they  said 
Yankee.  Afterwards  it  became  a  word  of  con 
tempt  applied  by  settled  European-Americans  to 
every  stranger  from  Europe  :  so,  by  a  spirit  of  re 
venge,  an  English  author  calls  Yankees  the  Amer 
icans  smoking  Havanna's  tobacco  on  sugar  bales. 
But,  not  satisfied  of  this  explanation,  by  seeing  so 
many,  giving  different  colours  to  this  word,  I  asked 
several  persons  ;  and,  the  most  inoffensive  idea  un 
der  such  word,  I  found  it  was  the  supposed  Amer 
icans  from  north  in  respect  to  those  from  south. 
For  instance,  the  Nevv-Englanders  would  be  Yan 
kees  to  the  New- Yorkers,  the  New-Yorkers  to  the 
Pennsylvanians ;  these  to  the  Virginians,  the  Vir 
ginians  to  the  Carolinians,  and  so  on.  If  it  were 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  95 

so,  though  the  offence  trifling  in  itself,  I  would  pre 
fer  to  be  under  the  equator's  line  where  those,  who 
are  in  this  side  of  North  America  have  no  right  to 
call  me  a  Yankee,  a  word  which,  even  pronounced 
by  persons  of  the  most  high  education,  does  not 
sound  to  my  ear  a  kind  one.  In  regard  to  those, 
who  call  Yankees  the  strangers  coming  into 
America,  they  must  offend  themselves,  since  the 
American  blood  is  stranger  to  this  country.  You 
know,  Hippolitus,  Switzerland  not  being  able  to 
afford  enough  for  all  her  inhabitants,  they  are  obli 
ged  to  live  in  France,  and  Italy  with  their  industry. 
In  America  such  kind  of  people  would  be  bapti 
zed  Yankees.  Among  persons  of  education  they 
call  only  Yankees  now,  those  cunning  creatures, 
who  are  getting  money  with  deceit:  and  it  seems 
to  me,  in  this  last  case,  such  degrading  title,  is  very 
happily  applied.  The  foundation  of  America  be 
ing  a  wise  liberty,  and  a  compact  of  true  United 
States,  all  the  petty  lines  of  demarcation  disap 
pear  with  general  instruction;  and  every  true  A- 
merican  feels  pleasure  in  seeing  every  nation  hav 
ing  a  reciprocal  consideration  of  each  other.  This 
little  globe  turning  around,  the  very  inconsistent 
Being  called  Man  improving,  must  feel  the  noble 
sentiment  of  becoming  a  true  citizen  of  the  world : 
so,  now  a  Yankee  is  generally  called  a  poor  crea 
ture,  who  is  far  from  understanding  the  feeling  of 
a  gentleman. 

But,  for  what  reason  a  philanthropist  is  paid  with 
ingratitude,  whilst  the  selfish  becomes  rich'!  Ol 
iver  Goldsmith  will  show  you  in  the  following 


96  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

lines,  that  sometimes  flattery  has  power  even 
over  wise  men  :  "  Upon  returning  home,  I  could 
not  help  reflecting  with  some  astonishment,  how 
this  very  man,  with  such  a  confined  education,  and 
capacity,  was  yet  capable  of  turning  me  as  he 
thought  proper,  and  moulding  me  to  his  inclina 
tions  !  I  knew  he  was  only  answering  his  own  pur 
poses,  even  while  he  attempted  to  appear  solici 
tous  about  mine  ;  yet,  by  a  voluntary  infatuation, 
a  sort  of  passion  compounded  of  vanity  and  good 
nature.  I  walked  into  the  snare  with  my  eyes  open, 
and  put  myself  to  future  pain,  in  order  to  give  him 
immediate  pleasure.  The  wisdom  of  the  ignorant, 
somewhat  resembles  the  instinct  of  animals  ;  it  is 
diffused  in  but  a  very  narrow  sphere,  but  within 
that  circle,  it  acts  with  vigour,  uniformity,  and  suc 


cess." 


If  you  take  the  hard  career  of  being  a  deserving 
writer,  after  your  death,  you  might  receive  the 
honour  of  a  stone  on  which  the  virtuous  like  your 
self,  among  posterity  will  shed  a  tear  for  reconcil 
ing  your  insensible  bones  to  mankind ;  and  perhaps 
a  poet  might  sing  your  virtues  ;  the  only  wreath  re 
served  to  the  children  of  true  glory :  still,  although 
"  Non  vive  oltre  la  tomba  ira  nemica,"  as  Mont* 
says,  if  your  generous  feeling  excites  you  to  de 
monstrate  the  evil  that  society  undergoes  under 
the  scourge  of  an  ignorant,  arid  false  religion,  after 
your  death  you  may  expect  to  be  slandered  by 
those,  who  find  their  interest  in  telling  the  people, 
that  Hume,  Volney,  Rousseau,  and  other  illustri 
ous  writers,  are  now  burning  in  heil.  And,  for 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  97 

what  reason  have  we  the  displeasure  of  hearing 
from  the  pulpit  such  kind  of  language,  if  it  is 
not  by  having  those  superior  men  written  the  truth, 
as  these  few  lines  of  the  historian  Hume  I  "  Mo 
nastic  observances  were  esteemed  more  meritori 
ous  than  the  active  virtues  :  the  knowledge  of 
natural  causes  was  neglected,  from  the  universal 
belief  of  miraculous  interpositions,and  judgments  : 
bounty  to  the  church  atoned  for  every  violence  a- 
gainst  society  :  and  the  remorses  for  cruelty,  mur 
der,  treachery,  assassination,  and  the  more  robust 
vices,  were  appeased,  not  by  amendment  of  life,  but 
by  penances,  servility  to  the  monks,  and  an  abject 
and  illiberal  devotion."  Would  that  virtuous 
man  have  written  the  next  following  lines,  if  he 
had  known,  that  his  ashes  would  have  been  curs 
ed  by  zealots?  "  Though  most  men,  anywise  em 
inent,  have  found  reason  to  complain  of  calumny, 
I  never  was  touched,"  says  he,  "  or  even  attacked, 
by  her  baleful  tooth  ;  and  though  I  wantonly  ex 
posed  myself  to  the  rage  of  both  civil,  and  religious 
factions,  they  seemed  to  be  disarmed,  in  my  behalf, 
of  their  wonted  fury.  My  friends  never  had  oc 
casion  to  vindicate  any  one  circumstance  of  my 
character,  and  conduct :  not  but  that  the  zealots, 
we  may  well  suppose,  would  have  been  glad  to 
invent,  and  propagate  any  story  to  my  disadvan 
tage,  but  they  could  never  find  any  which  they 
thought  would  wear  the  face  of  probability." 

But,  what  is  virtue  I   It  is  to  bear  up  against  ad 
versities  with  calmness,  and  heroism  ;  it  is  to  gain 

our  subsistence  with  honour  among  the  vicious ; 
13 


98  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

virtue  is  to  speak  truth  against  our  own  interest ; 
it  is  never  to  complain  of  the  injustice  of  our  for 
tune  ;  virtue  is  the  loosing  the  opportunity  of 
acquiring  glory  when  we  are  wanting  in  another 
part  for  the  good  of  our  fellow-creatures  ;  virtue 
is  a  constant  endeavour  to  better  our  own  charac 
ter  :  In  a  word,  virtue  is  nothing  else  than  a  divine 
goodness  of  humanity.  If  you  love  letters,  you 
have  nothing  to  do,  but  to  aim  at  the  perfection  of 
your  own  character  :  your  book  is  your  own  heart ; 
and  in  whatever  situation  you  might  be,  in  com 
paring  yourself  with  others,  avoid  all  their  faults, 
imitate  all  their  fine  qualities,  and  your  eloquence 
will  touch  every  heart. 

LORENZO. 


TO  CHARLES. 

New  York. 

Virtue  is  a  quality  much  more  rare  than  is  generally  imagined ; 
and  therefore  the  words  humanity,  virtue,  patriotism,  and  many 
others  of  similar  kinds,  should  be  used  with  greater  caution 
than  they  usually  are  in  the  intercourses  of  mankind. 

Zi  m  m  eTHi  an . 

Those,  who  are  taught  by  their  philosophy,  pro 
perly  to  estimate  the  merits  of  every  people,  will 
feel  disgust  when  they  hear  persons  inveighing  a- 
gainst  a  nation  for  the  sole  purpose  of  indirectly 
boasting,  that  their  own  country  is  free  from  the 
defects  which  they  censure.  I  was  once  introdu 
ced  by  an  American  family  to  a  French  lady.  Af 
ter  she  had  sung  several  patriotic  songs,  I  conver- 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  99 

sed  with  her  in  her  native  tongue.     As  the  French 
language  was  not  understood  by  the  rest  of  the 
company,  she  lavished  praises  upon  the  French 
nation  in  so  outrageous  a  manner,  that  it  seemed, 
according  to  her  judgment,  that  all  others  were  de 
ficient.     As  she  was  not  informed,  upon  my  intro 
duction  to  her,  that  I  was  an  Italian,  I  thought 
it  my  duty  to  tell  her  that  I  was  not  a  native  of 
France.     I  proceeded  as  follows  :  As  I  have  kind, 
delicate,  and  sensible  friends  among  the  French 
people,  I  have  the  honour  to  tell  you,  Madam,  that 
I  love  them  as  my  own.     I  am  one  of  those  cos 
mopolites,  who  believe,  that  a  person  has  no  right 
to  disregard  a  nation,  because  he  observes  in  it, 
particular  instances  of  depravity,  for,  he  should 
reflect,  that  man  is  always  man  with  more,  or  less 
modification,  according  to  the  age  in  which  he 
lives.     We  cannot  find  a  single  nation  which  is  not 
adorned  by  men  of  virtue,  and  my  impression  is? 
that  we  are  prejudiced   in  favour  of  our  native 
country, because  we  there  received  the  first  caress 
es  of  our  parents.     Upon  this,  perhaps  too  severe 
reproof,  she  assumed  the  expression  of  a  cunning 
fox,  and,  had  I  been  Raphael,  I  would  have  given 
to  the  world  a  singular,and  striking  picture.  How 
ever  we  proceeded  to  converse  on  various  topics ; 
and  the  subject  of  languages  rising,  I  advanced 
the  proposition,  that  no  language  is  perfect,  since 
we  find,  that  in  all  those  with  which  we  are  ac 
quainted,  there  are  many  words  wanting  to  express 
our  sentiments.     "  You  must  possess  a  great  ge 
nius,  sir,"  said  she,  with  her  cunning  smile,  "  since 


100  LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA. 

the  languages  spoken  by  nations  through  so  long 
a  course  of  years,  are  insufficient  to  give  expres 
sion  to  your  ideas."  I  was  not  unprepared  for 
this  exhibition  of  petty  revenge.  Poor  humanity ! 
We  seem  born  to  make  painful  the  lives  of  each 
other.  Sometimes  I  endeavor  to  explain  to  my 
self  the  inequality  of  the  gifts  of  nature.  In  the 
very  moment  that  she  delights  to  bestow  upon  one 
all  the  good  qualities  of  mind  and  body,  she  in 
flicts  upon  another,  external  deformity  joined  with 
a  repulsive  character.  Why,  I  ask  myself,  are 
we  not  all  cast  in  the  same  mould  1  One  is  blind, 
another  lame,  the  face  of  this  is  turned  upon  his 
left  shoulder,  and  that  bears  it  on  his  right.  This 
man  jumps  on  crutches,  and  that  sees  nothing  de 
serving  attention  except  his  own  precious  person: 
the  one  is  passionate,  the  other  sardonic.  This 
man  is  a  fool,  and  that  delights  to  insult  him  with 
his  clownish  wit.. ..But,  I  have  entered  into  too  long 
a  digression  :  so  that,  resuming  the  thread  of  the 
conversation,  although  I  like  to  yield  to  the  ladies, 
I  was  not  disposed  to  give  the  victory  to  her, 

"  It  is  the  witness  still  of  excellency 
To  put  a  strange  face  on  his  own  perfection," 

Says  Shakspeare.  So  that,  wishing  to  put  all  my 
poor  wit  into  operation,  Madam,  said  I,  I  do  not 
believe  myself  to  be  a  genius  because  I  cannot 
name  with  a  particular  word  every  part  compound 
ing  this  chair  which  I  now  hold.  Besides,  if  I 
were  in  love  with  you,  Madam,  I  do  not  believe  that 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.        101 

I  should  find  words  adequate  to  the  description  of 
your  charms,  as  Byron  says : 

"  Who  hath  not  proved  how  feebly  words  essay 
To  fix  one  spark  of  beauty's  heavenly  ray  ?" 

And  Chateaubriand  :  "Ah,  si  tu  m'aimais,  quelle, 
serait  notre  felicite  !  Nous  trouverions  pour  nous 
exprimer  un  langage  digne  du  ciel ;  a  present  il 
y  a  des  mots  qui  manquent,  parce  que  ton  arne  ne 
repond  pas  a  la  mienne." 

She  smiled  with  her  natural  cheerfulness,  and 
we  continue  now  to  be  good  friends. 

LORENZO. 


TO  . 

London. 

Those,  who  find  themselves  severed  from  society  by  peculi 
arities  of  form,  if  they  do  not  hate  the  common  bulk  of  man 
kind,  are  at  least  not  altogether  indisposed  to  enjoy  their  mis 
haps,  and  calamities.  Walter  Scott. 

Though  we  say,  man  ought  not  to  be  partial 
to  his  own  country,  still  we  find  a  great  many  tra 
vellers  judging  of  nations  with  rashness.  The 
prejudices  of  our  childhood  are  so  dangerous  to 
our  reason,  that  very  often  men  endeavour  to  find 
faults  among  nations,  because  they  have  not  their 
own  habits.  A  traveller  may  converse  with  thou 
sands  of  individuals  of  a  foreign  nation  which  he 
undertakes  to  describe,  and  still,  have  no  idea  of 
their  real  character.  We  have  only  to  open  their 
books,  and  we  find  nothing  is  so  full  of  contradic- 


102       LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

tions  as  the  writers  on  their  journeys.  From 
whence  does  it  come,  that  Madam  Destael  praises 
so  much  the  Italian  nation,  whilst  Lady  Morgan  de 
bases  them,  if  it  is  not,  that  Destael  had  the  good 
chance  of  finding  among  them  something  agreea 
ble  to  her,  and  Morgan  displeasing  things  ?  Be 
sides,  the  life  of  a  man  is  hardly  sufficient  for  judg 
ing  of  a  nation,  since,  admitting  he  understands 
the  language,  if  on  many  an  occasion  we  find  the 
character  of  particular  persons  very  different  from 
what  we  have  judged  before,  so,  with  greater  rea 
son,  we  may  mistake  the  character  of  a  whole  na 
tion.  In  the  first  period  of  his  residence  in  Italy, 
Byron  judged  of  the  Italians  in  a  quite  different 
manner  from,  what  he  did,  during  the  last  period  of 
his  life.,..  Wlio. can  read  Alfieri's  Misogallo  with 
out  feeling  the  injustice  of  his  having  written  so 
contemptuously  of  the  nation  of  Fenelon,  Mably, 
Montesquieu,  and  so  on  1  How  can  we  find  justice 
among  men,  if  eminent  writers  depreciate  other 
nations  with  rashness  1  In  opening  a  book  of 
Madam  Destael,  and  reading  several  praises  on 
Italy,  I  find  the  following  lines:  "In  that  nation, 
where  one  does  not  think  but  love,  there  is  not  a 
single  romance,  because  love  is  so  rapid,  so  public, 
that  it  yields  no  developement :  and  to  pen  with 
reality  the  general  manners  on  this  subject,  it  would 
be  necessary  to  begin,  and  finish  in  the  first  page." 
There  are  authors,  who  sometimes  prefer  to  show 
their  wit  at  the  expense  of  their  good  sense,  since 
Madam  Destael  knowing  the  life  of  Dante,  Pe- 
trarc,  Tasso,  and  many  other  Italians,  she  could 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.        103 

not  deny  that,  although  Italy  has  not  so  great  a 
quantity  of  romances  in  prose  as  the  French  libra 
ry,  still  she  has  persons  of  both  sexes,  whose  life 
was  only  a  long  chain  of  Platonic  love.  Howev 
er  a  romance  is  only  but  a  plot  on  which  love  acts 
the  first  part :  and  if  it  is  so,  how  can  we  agree 
with  Madam  Destael  for  the  mere  reason  the  Ital 
ian  writers  had  chosen  other  subjects'!  But,  still, 
the  form  implies  nothing  if  the  substance  is  the 
same  :  so,  if  France  has  romances  written  in  prose, 
Italy  has  as  many  Italian  romances  in  poetry.  If 
every  writer,  who  undertakes  to  speak  badly  of 
some  nations  have  the  following  just  sentiment  of 
Chateaubriand,  we  would  have  the  satisfaction  of 
not  meeting  with  so  much  nonsense:  "  Malge  les 
nombreuses  injustices  que  Chactas  avait  eprou- 
vees  dela  part  des  Francais,  il  les  aimait.  II  se 
sovenait  toujours  de  Fenelon,  dont  il  avait  ete 
Fhote,  et  desirait  pbuvoir  rendre  quelque  service 
aux  compatriotes  de  cet  homme  vertueux."  We 
know,  that  Chateaubriand  had  been  the  guest  of 
Washington. 

CHARLES. 


104  LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA. 

TO  LORENZO. 

Lausanne. 

0  ruines  !  je  retournerai  vers  vous  prendre  vos  leoons !  je 
me  replacerai  dans  la  paix  de  vos  solitudes ;  et  la,  eloigne  du 
spectacle  affligeant  des  passions,  j'  aimerai  les  hommes  sur  des 
souvenirs  ;  je  m'  occnperai  de  leurbonheur,  et  le  mien  se  com- 
posera  de  1'idee  de  1'avoir  hate.  Volney, 

Every  thing  is  now  in  bloom  ;  and  that  snow  on 
which  I  rode  on  a  sledge  two  months  ago  has  dis 
appeared.  In  the  short  space  of  a  century,  all 
these  mortals  contending  for  a  span  of  ground  will 
have  vanished  in  the  same  manner :  but,  time  has 
no  power  when  history  relates  to  posterity  the 
good,  or  bad  qualities  of  men. 

Yes,  I  have  propensity  to  think  with  you.  We, 
perhaps,  a  small  part  of  the  Soul  animating  the 
whole  creation,  are  not  happy,  unless  we  find  a  Be 
ing  able  to  partake  our  sentiments. 

Compose  for  me,  Lorenzo,  a  sonnet  on  the  Se 
pulchre  of  Santa-Rosa. 

OONALASKA. 


TO  CHARLES. 

Richmond. 

For  what  end  has  the  lavish  hand  of  Providence  diffused  in 
numerable  objects  of  delight,  but  that  all  might  rejoice  in  the 
privilege  of  existence,  and  be  filled  with  gratitude  to  the  be 
neficent  author  of  it.  Carter. 

If  it  were  given  to  me  the  enjoyment  of  the  love 
that  men  attempt  to  snatch  from  ni^^jfeisp;  and 
afterwards,  provided  I  were  leaving  beyond  my 
grave  no  stain  injuring  my  honour,  I  would  die 


LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA.  105 

without  regret,  though  I  was  sure  that  my  spirit 
would  pass  into  a  state  of  nonentity.  Life  seems 
but  an  ephemeral  moment  between  the  infinite 
passed  time  and  the  next  to  come  :  so,  being  it  the 
centre  of  two  infinite  extremities,  the  world  must 
be  the  beginning, and  end  for  every  mortal  Being: 
but,  I  think  this  universe  has  always  been,  and  it 
will  never  be  destroyed.  I  believe  it  is  Voltaire, 
who  said :  "  Nous  sommes  d'hier,  et  FAmerique 
estde  ce  matin." 

I  saw  Oonalaska  in  a  dream  with  all  the  attrac 
tions  of  her  charms !  The  world  now  seems  to 
me  the  garden  of  Armida.  How  beautiful,  Charles, 
is  the  ruin  on  that  mountain!  That  lightning 
striking  just  now  the  top  of  that  tree,  it  does  not 
present  to  my  mind  tyranny  and  despotism  :  I  see 
nothing  else  in  it,  but  nature  falling  at  the  feet  of 
Oonalaska,  and  worshiping  her  beauty.  Sun  of 
this  fine  universe  ;  when  thou  wilt  glitter  in  vain 
for  me,  do,  tell  her,  though  I  was  without  hope  of 
meeting  her  on  earth,  when  in  my  life  I  turned 
out  of  the  way  of  her  virtuous  sentiments,  it  was 
my  ignorance  of  not  being  able  to  discern  my  du 
ty  ;  never  willingly ! 

To-day  I  read  "Gerusalemme  Liberata,"  which 
had  never  been  delivered  from  the  hands  of  the 
Turk  into  another  called  the  Pope.  Misfortune 
was  the  inheritance  of  Tasso.  Passions,  and  suf 
ferings  seem  the  only  movers  of  that  genius.  In 
reading  the  episode  of  Olindo  and  Sofronia,  I  was 
thinking  of  the  writer's  walking  with  agitation  in 

his  room,  suffused  with  tears,  stopping  from  time  to 
14 


106  LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA. 

time,  and  speaking  to  Eleonora  as  if  she  were  pre 
sent.  But,  suddenly,  with  eyes  cast  down,  almost 
breathless,  taking  the  pen,  inspired  by  a  divinity, 
smiling  with  a  tear  ready  to  drop  on  the  paper, 
and  writing  these  fine  lines  : 

"  O  sia  grazia  del  ciel  che  Tumiltade 
D'  innocente  pastor  salvi,  e  sublime, 
O  che  siccome  il  folgore  non  cade 
In  basso  plan,  ma  su  1'eccelse  cime  : 
Cosi  il  furor  di  peregrine  spade 
Sol  de'  gran  re  Paltere  teste  oprime  : 
Ne  gli  avidi  soldati  a  preda  alletta 
La  nostra  poverta  vile  e  negletta. 

What  shame  for  those,  who  made  him  pass  for 
a  fool !  Once,  a  friend  of  mine,  speaking  about  ge 
niuses,  thought  the  pre-occupation,  or  concentra 
ting  state  in  which  sometimes  a  man  of  talent  dives, 
appears  something  near  to  foolishness.  A  man 
starting  from  a  profound  meditation,  seems  as  one 
awaking  from  sleep  by  a  sudden  noise ;  and  wish 
ing  to  speak  before  his  clear  ideas  be  at  his  com 
mand,  all  he  is  saying  is  nothing  but  absurdi 
ties.  Reflection  having  no  part  in  his  discourse,  a 
man  of  a  great  mind  is  more  apt  to  talk  foolishness, 
than  a  real  fool. 

Yesterday  walking  in  a  dale,  I  found  William 
sitting  on  a  rock  in  gloomy  meditation.  "  I  am, 
Lorenzo,"  said  he,  "  like  a  terrestial  bird  in  the 
middle  of  an  immense  sea,  flying  in  search  of  land 
with  exhausted  wings  :  but,  the  more  it  looks  a- 
round  the  wild  horizon,  the  more  its  piercing  eye 
discovers  the  flood  interminable,  and  black  clouds, 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.       107 

forwarded  by  lightning,  hovering  over  its  head... 
After  a  long  pause. — Society,  he  proceeded,  is  for 
me  the  same  dreadful  ocean  1  I  killed  by  a  vain 
point  of  honour  the  brother  of  Julia  in  a  duel. 
When  I  saw  my  dearest  friend  struggling  with 
death,  putting  my  homicidal  hand  on  the  wound,  I 
swore  to  use  arms  no  more." 

To-day  I  read  an  account  of  a  dreadful  execu 
tion  under  the  tyrannical  laws  of  Don  Miguel : 
the  priests  of  Christ,  after  having  led  to  the  scaf 
fold  seven  young  men,  whose  crime  was  that  of 
having  tried  the  liberty  of  their  country,  and  get 
ting  rid  of  such  a  monster,  those  very  ministers,  who 
durst  to  speak  with  the  moral  of  Jesus,  were  af 
terwards  praying  in  church  for  the  preservation  of 
the  tyrant  of  Portugal. 

Please  to  send  the  following  Sonnet  to  Oona- 
laska. 

IL  SEPOLCRO  DI  SANTA-ROSA. 
Sonetto. 

II  fumo  che  sbocco  da  tutte  Parmi, 
Formava  in  Grecia  grande  mausoleo: 
Cangi^ndo  sull'  Ausonia  in  un  trofeo, 
Qual  nuovo  Sole  il  vidi  innanzi  starmi. 

Tre  Dive  usciro  tra  funebri  carmi, 
Scendendo  il  frale  sul  colle  Euganeo, 
Ve  gia  Natura  ombrosa  grotta  feo, 
E  dorme  I'Ortis  sotlo  i  freddi  marmi. 

Ma  Tombra  di  Canova  ch'  era  accanto 
Del  suo  lavoro  al  monumento  bello, 
Baciollo,  e  Firroro  di  caldo  pianto. 


108       LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

Raccolto  poscia  lo  divin  scalpello, 
Di  Caritade  incise  il  voler  santo  : 
«H  Cielo  a  Santa-Rosa  erse  1'avello." 

LORENZO. 


TO  OONALASKA. 

New-  York. 

It  is  only  through  woe  that  we  are  taught  to  reflect,  and  we 
gather  the  honey  of  wordly  wisdom,  not  from  flowers,  but 
thorns.  Bulwer. 

When  I  find  a  man  continually  at  variance  with 
himself,  it  is  with  difficulty,  that  I  hinder  myself 
from  smiling  bitterly,  thinking,  that  at  the  very 
moment  in  which  he  is  searching  for  a  comforta 
ble  life,  and  supposing  himself  in  possession  of  a 
harbour,  the  waves  swallow  him  forever,  and  lies 
a  miserable  wreck.  A  young  lady  loses  her  mo 
ther  :  the  silent  pains  of  her  heart,  prevent  the  free 
course  of  her  tears  :  at  length  she  cries  and  laughs 
at  the  same  time  :  and  whilst  mourning  over  the 
wretchedness  of  mortal  life,  we  meet  with  a  ma 
licious,  conceited,  and  small  minded  woman,  who, 
because  you  did  not  pay  her  the  vile  baseness  of  a 
courtier,  the  next  time  you  have  the  politeness  to 
pay  her  a  visit,  she  will  either  not  be  at  home,  sick, 
or  not  able  to  return  your  kindness  in  consequence 
of  the  indisposition  of  her  child :  and  though  she 
goes  to  church,  and  believes  nobody  saved  out  of 
her  creed,  she  will  be  very  much  pleased  after  such 
wickedness,  and  showing  superiority  towards  her 


LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA,  109 

fellow  creature.  Do  you  know  why  1  Her  boast 
ed  religion  is  not  her  ruling  passion ;  it  is  that  of 
despotism.  So,  when  nature  spares  us  from  pains, 
whilst  we  complain  of  the  wretchedness  of  our 
life,  we  endeavor  to  torment  each  other. 

There  is  no  reality  on  this  little  globe,  and  some 
times  I  desire  its  destruction  by  coming  in  contact 
with  some  other  planets,  perhaps  worse  than  this, 
and  bury  in  a  moment  our  shameful  race  in  which 
the  most  cunning  triumph  over  the  just.  So 
Byron  : 

"  Some  men  are  worms 
In  soul  more  than  the  living  things  of  tombs." 

I  have  too  strong  a  conviction  of  the  perfection 
of  astronomy  for  believing  a  comet  might  destroy 
the  fine  order  of  it :  but,  when  my  imagination,  and 
mankind's  perversity  exalt  my  mind,  I  think  with 
some  passages  of  the  Bible,  that  God  cannot  be 
satisfied  with  our  ill-nature.  The  spectacle  of 
the  destruction  of  this  globe,  must  be  a  very  agree 
able,  and  sublime  moment  for  the  virtuous  man, 
who  did  not  find  but  ingratitude  :  it  is  not  the  spir 
it  of  vengeance ;  it  is  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  end 
of  a  planet,  in  which  the  best  is  very  often  doom 
ed  to  suffer  under  the  paw  of  the  most  cunning 
animal.  Yesterday  I  felt  in  my  heart  the  nails  of 
a  falcon  hovering  over  me,  when  my  ears  were 
pierced  by  the  dying  screams  of  an  innocent  bird 
under  its  talons. 

I  hear  great  many  complaining  of  the  ingrati 
tude  which  man  meets  with  man  :  but,  if  they  ex 
amine  their  own  conscience  with  equity,  they 


.110  LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA. 

should  find,  that  while  they  feel  the  blows  they 
have  received,  forget  the  mortal  ones  they  gave 
unjustly  to  their  fellow  creatures.     We  have  no 
right  to  reprehend  our  injuries,  unless  our  conduct 
towards  others  be  unblemished.     The  slightest 
slip  from  morality  is  enough  to  create  thousand 
disorders  in  society:  and  if  we  were  not  overruled 
by  the  benevolent,  and  provident  nature,  the  ex 
ternal  order  of  society  would  have  no  more  allure 
ment  for  us.     The  most  well  disposed  man  if  he 
is  not  an  angel,  by  dint  of  finding  himself  the  vic 
tim  of  his  goodness,  drinks  with  it  a  poison  de 
caying  his  fine  natural  qualities ;  so  that,  in  an 
swering  blow  for  blow,  soon  finds  himself  dragged 
to  the  level  of  the  very  scoundrels,  whom  at  first 
he  was  so  reluctant  to  be  associated  with.     So  the 
few  aristocrats  have  their  complaints  because  they 
cannot  tyrannize  the  plurality :  the  latter  by  want 
of  instruction,  not  being  able  to  revenge  their  real 
sufferings,  imitate   the  former  upon  those,  who 
feel  a  second  rank  of  inferiority,  and  so  on,  one 
spoil  another  until  that  the  most  abject  class  of 
men,  by  want  of  finding  other  inferior  of  them, 
when  the  last  spark  of  moral  becomes  extinguish 
ed  in  their  heart,  finding  themselves  contemned 
by  society,  they  finish  always  by  giving  themselves 
to  crimes,  for  whom,  lawyers  have  a  good  oppor 
tunity  of  demonstrating,  that,  if  it  happens  to  find 
briberies  protecting  the  rascalities  of  the  rich,  at 
least  they  have  laws  always  exact,  and  severe,  in 
judging  the  rabble.     So  Shakspeare  :  "TheWor- 
ser  allow'd  by  order  of  law  a  furr'd  gown  to  keep 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.        Ill 

him  warm ;  and  furr'd  with  fox  and  lamb  skins 
too,  to  signify,  that  craft,  being  richer  than  inno- 
cency,  stands  for  the  facing."  In  our  present  state 
of  society,  the  man's  existence  is  only  a  lottery. 
Society  not  only  do  not  help  the  poor  ;  but,  every 
individual  turns  the  back  to  a  man,  who  has  noth 
ing  in  the  world.  Bugiardo  has  some  bad  goods 
to  sell ;  and  if  he  does  not  gain  money  with  it,  he 
must  perish :  so,  he  will  tell  the  lie  to  save  him 
self  on  such  only  plank.  How  can  we  call  soci 
ety  a  compound  of  bustling  human  creatures,  leav 
ing  the  poor  struggling  with  necessity,  when  in 
helping  him,  it  would  turn  not  only  on  his  favour, 
but  on  the  happiness  of  the  whole  commonwealth  ? 
In  a  country  like  this,  wanting  population,  we  find 
suicides  as  frequent  as  in  Europe.  This  country, 
Oonalaska,  though,  at  my  notion,  is  the  most 
promising  throughout  the  world,  still  she  wants 
better  administration.  Yesterday,  passing  by 
Maiden-lane,  seeing  a  track  of  blood  crossing  the 
street,  I  went  to  a  crowd  surrounding  the  dead 
body  of  a  merchant,  who  cut  his  throat  when  he 
found  himself  failed  in  his  business. 

For  what  reason  Machiavelli  the  teacher  of 
Buonaparte,  has  not  the  thousandth  part  of  admi 
rers  of  his  pupil,  if  it  were  not  by  having  taken  no 
advantage  with  depriving  society  of  her  rights,  and 
turning  it  into  his  favour  by  the  superiority  of  his 
mind?  A  musician  becomes  rich  by  the  exertion 
of  his  art ;  and  people  will  not  only  prefer  him  to 
a  philosopher,  whose  reason  improves  their  own 
happiness ;  but,  their  blind  ignorance  will  force 


112  LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA* 

them  to  call  such  a  philanthropist  an  exalted  man> 
or  a  fool.  Human  praises  spring  from  success, 
not  from  real  intrinsic  merit :  and  "I  patimenti 
dei  grandi  uomini  formano  la  felicita  del  genere 


umano." 


A  day  after  another  leads  us  where  1  Indeed  I 
do  not  know  :  but,  if  we  come  on  this  earth  only 
to  kick  and  cuff  each  other,  what  kind  of  existence 
is  ours,  if  not  a  pestiferous  exalation  of  hell,  leav 
ing,  behind  its  paths,  indelible  traces  of  death  I 
When  we  shall  lie  in  the  common  abode  of  leth 
argy  from  whence  we  came  to  this  life,  our  past, 
painful,  or  delightful  existence  will  be  alike  for  us : 
but,  some  in  reality,  and  some  by  imagination,  we 
may  say,  few  have  the  fortune  to  call  this  earth  an 
Eden.  We  are  sociable  creatures  by  selfishness  : 
and  still,  what  kind  of  sociability,  if  continually  in 
guard  one  against  another?  Then  silence,  while 
it  seems  proceeding  from  a  want  of  confidence, 
it  is  because  we  fear  to  lose  our  respectability  in 
the  sight  of  fellows  always  ready  to  take  advan 
tage  on  the  goodness,  and  innocent  abandonment 
of  another. 

If  nature  were  giving  us  in  a  moment  a  sense 
bringing  into  light  our  secret  thoughts,  few  wrould 
stay  in  public  without  shame.  However,  sci 
ences  and  arts  going  on,  whilst  are  purifing  the 
human  heart,  are  always  clearing  the  clouds  of 
ignorance,  superstition,  and  hypocrisy,  three  evils 
leading  mankind  into  such  a  hellish  confusion, 
that  man  thinks  foolishness  to  follow  integrity. 
But,  they  may  chain  Prometheus  on  the  top  of 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  113 

Caucasus,  and  leave  him  the  prey  of  ravens  ;  they 
may  forsake  Columbus  begging  bread  for  his  son  ; 
cast  Galileo  into  a  dungeon,  and  leave  Thomas 
Paine  dying  on  the  straw :  but,  people  will  always 
learn,  that  Jupiter  was  a  tyrant,  the  Scripture's 
writers  less  mathematicians  than  Columbus,  that 
the  earth  turns  around  the  sun,  and  Paine  a  true 
citizen. 

The  love  of  ourselves  being  a  natural  instinct 
for  our  conservation,  it  should  be  the  mover  of  all 
fine  actions,  if  it  were  based  on  true  principles  of 
society.  But,  it  is  painful  for  those,  who,  knowing 
the  source  of  inexhausted  pleasures,  that  the  hu 
man  compact  might  possess,  see  at  the  same  time 
the  impossibility  to  reach  it  among  flocks  of  igno- 
rants.  Improvements  rose  but  with  our  reason ; 
and  our  interest  turns  on  our  loss,  when  it  is  not 
bound  with  the  happiness  of  the  whole  mankind. 
This  common  interest  is  what  wise  men  call  love 
of  true  glory. 

Though  our  social  improvements  are  too  slow 
for  the  suffering  virtue,  still,  we  are  always  going 
a  step  towards  perfection.  From  the  fall  of  a  na 
tion,  another  learns,  and  becomes  wiser :  this  falls, 
the  other  rises :  but,  history  stands  there  a  monu 
ment  of  light  which  is  only  offending  the  sight  of 
owls,  and  bats.  It  will  come  the  day  in  which  ev 
ery  man  finding  his  own  interest  on  the  way  of  in 
tegrity,  the  selfish  eloquence  of  rascals  will  be 
scorned,  and  trampled  by  an  enlightened  people. 
It  is  with  sorrow  of  mind  I  find  among  Americans 

too  much  anxiety  of  money.    If  this  wise  govern- 
15 


114  LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA. 

ment  were  encouraging  superior  men  on  every  side 
of  the  United  States  to  deliver  public  lectures  on 
history,  showing  to  the  people  the  evil  of  the  times 
which  are  past,  America  would  become  the  pole- 
star  of  a  true  Republic.  All  she  wants  now,  it  is 
instruction. 

Who  would  have  believed,  before  the  invention 
of  vessels,  that  man  would  have  sailed  around  the 
globe  1  And  now,  who  would  believe  our  age  or 
posterity  will  find  the  means  of  swimming  in  the 
air  ?  Till  now  the  attempts  of  going  against  the 
wind  have  failed :  but,  if  I  were  a  mechanic,  I 
would  construe  a  balloon  in  the  shape  of  a  fish ; 
and  by  means  of  a  machine,  I  would  move  the  fins 
in  several  directions.  It  seems  to  me  it  would  not 
be  difficult  to  swim  against  the  airy  element  as  the 
fishes  do  against  the  most  rapid  waterfalls. 

Yes,  you  are  right,  Oonalaska ;  in  private  life, 
very  seldom  a  man  can  judge  another,  our  feelings 
being  so  disparate  as  the  sound  of  human  voices: 
still,  if  every  sensible  man  were  obliged  to  answer 
at  every  displeasure  he  meets  in  society,  he  should 
be  obliged  to  use  very  often  the  sword,  or  pistol. 
We  are  always  in  contradiction  by  want  of  under 
standing.  Once,  I  was  praising  with  Catholics  the 
virtue  of  Brutus  when  he  supported  with  heroism 
the  death  of  his  sons :  and  such  Christians,  who 
could  not  comprehend,  and  thought  unnatural  a 
father  condemning  his  children  to  death,  sustain 
ed  with  all  their  energy  that  hereafter  we  might 
see  in  hell  our  father,  mother,  sons,  and  wife  with 
out  the  least  pain,  if  God  have  condemned  them. 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.       115 

I  find  in  the  Alcoran  the  same  stoicism.  "  O  croy- 
ans  !  cessez  d'aimervos  peres,  vos  freres  s'ilspre- 
ferent  1'incredulite  a  la  fois.  Si  vous  les  aimez, 
vous  deviendrez  pervers.  Si  vos  peres,  vos  en- 
fans,  vos  freres,  vos  epouses,  vos  parens,  les  rich- 
esses  que  vous  avez  acquises,  le  commerce  dont 
vous  craignez  la  ruine,  vos  habitations  cheries 
ont  plus  d'empire  sur  vos  coeurs  que  Dieu,  son  en- 
voye,  et  la  guerre  sainte,  attendez  le  judgement  du 
Tres-Haut." 

P.  S.  Bran  my  only,  and  faithful  companion 
of  my  misfortune  is  so  much  attached  to  me,  that 
I  find  no  language  apt  to  explain  this  dog's  feel 
ing.  Whilst  I  write  this  letter,  his  head  is  on  my 
knees.  The  sagacity  of  this  animal  is  beyond 
comprehension.  I  heard  always  this  dog  growl 
ing  every  time  a  man,  whom  I  thought  honest,  came 
in  my  room  ;  I  heard  afterwards  he  is  a  swindler, 
and  cheated  me  out  of  twenty  dollars. 

I  went  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  tomb  of  my  friend 

C I  put  a  wreath  of  perpetual  flowers  on  his 

modest  cross,  bearing  his  name,  and  made  a  little 
garden  on  the  small  piece  of  ground  covering  his 
remain.  But,  whilst  I  was  engaged  in  such  a  pi 
ous  ceremony,  my  eyes  did  neither  contemplate  the 
immense  void  of  the  skies,  nor  I  did  think  of  my 
infancy's  feeble  prayers.  His  lively  existence  is 
gone  like  a  river,  which  receives  motion  by  dash 
ing  against  rocks  on  a  declivity.  Enjoyments,  and 
sorrows  were  the  rocks  which  gave  him  existence, 
until  he  found  in  the  vale  of  death  a  monotonous 
silence. 


116  LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA. 

Yes,  Oonalaska,  Ada  was  not  only  beautiful ; 
but,  the  qualities  of  her  mind  were  such,  that  you 
would  have  found  in  her  a  sincere  friend.  Far 
from  being,  as  often  we  see  silly  girls,  full  of  pre 
sumption,  always  pleased  whenever  they  can  show 
before  the  object  of  their  thoughts,  that  their  re 
ligion  does  not  go  so  far  as  to  correct  their  uncivil 
carelessness  towards  the  politeness  of  a  friendless 
gentleman.  Her  disposition  was  retiring,  and  con 
ciliatory.  In  her  whole  life  she  never  committed 
intentionally  a  single  unkind  deed,  or  thought  to 
wards  her  fellow  being.  When,  by  distraction, 
Ada  believed  she  had  not  reciprocated  the  atten 
tions  of  those  around  her,  she  was  thoughtful,  and 
mortified ;  but  reconciliation  immediately  illumin 
ed  her  divine  countenance  with  joy,  and  gratifica 
tion.  One  day,  Ada,  Charles,  and  myself  having 
proposed  to  go  on  the  top  of  a  mountain,  not  far 
from  her  father's  house,  Charles  finding  Ada  on 
the  out  door,  offered  her  his  arm.  Though  she 
wanted  to  be  with  me,  her  gentility  did  not  permit 
her  to  refuse  the  mere  politeness  of  Charles.  On 
reaching  the  top  of  the  mountain,  we  found  a 
Chapel  surrounded  of  tombs,  and  under  the  altar, 
the  grave  of  her  younger  sister,  which  she  drew 
my  attention  to,  with  tears  rolling  down  her  cheeks. 
She  kneeled  down,  and  prayed  so  fervently,  that  I 
was  prompted  to  do  the  same.  On  rising,  she 
took  my  hand,  and  led  me  silently  to  the  ground 
fresh  moved,  in  which  lay  one  of  my  friends,  a  few 
days  before  deceased,  over  which  our  aspirations 
commingled!....  And  now,  where  is  Ada! — In 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.       117 

the  grave  with  her  sister  !  Few  know  that  sacred 
place,  and  perhaps  nobody  has  now  a  friendly  re 
collection  of  Ada.  I  passed  one  night  on  her 
cold  tombstone  ;  and  I  felt  her  spirit  hovering  a- 
round  me,  and  caressing  my  forehead. — I  heard 
the  angelic  sound  of  her  voice ;  and  told  in  my 
ear,  that  I  would  have  been  unhappy  all  my  life, 
because  I  dare  to  speak  truth  among  men  unable 
of  understanding  me.  Never  mind,  Oonalaska, 
now  that  the  sufferings  became  my  element,  as  I 
think  with  the  following  lines  of  Chateaubriand, 
let  the  prophecy  of  Ada  be  fulfilled :  "  Mais  qu'irn- 
portent  la  mort,  et  les  revers,  si  notre  nom,  pro- 
nonce  dans  la  posterite,  va  faire  battre  un  coeur 
genereux  deux  mille  ans  apres  notre  vie?" 

You  are  one  of  those  angels,  Oonalaska,  that 
God  sends  from  time  to  time  to  teach  us  we  are 
sons  of  heaven.  All  professors  of  Divinity  may 
say  every  thing  they  will  on  the  wickedness  of 
mankind  :  but,  around  the  worthy,  I  breathe  an 
embalmed  air  which  opens  my  heart,  and  then  I 
am  not  ashamed  to  be  a  man. 

LORENZO. 


TO  CHARLES. 

New-  York. 

Non  nihil  aspersis  gaudet  amor  lacrymis. 

All  fine  qualities  were  united  in  her.  She  was 
reading  on  a  chair  near  the  window,  from  which 
is  seen  the  fine  prospect  of  a  chain  of  mountains 
loosing  itself  in  the  clouds,  and  at  the  right,  un- 


118  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

dulating  hills,  which,  decreasing  with  the  distance, 
terminate  in  a  vast  plain,  the  ending  of  which,  is 
the  shore  of  an  interminable  sea.     Her  hair  was 
veiling  her  dazzling  countenance  ;  and  the  tears 
dropping  from  her  large  eyes,  were  like  the  morn 
ing  dews  on  the  queen  of  flowers.     O,  why  did  I 
not  breathe  that  sweet  sigh  which  embalmed  the 
air  with  heavenly  fragrance  ?     And  to  whom  was 
directed  her  sigh  !...Her  heart  is  formed  to  feel  for 
sufferers.     I  shall  recollect  all  my  life  wrhen  she 
spoke  with  those,  who  were  detracting  the  charac 
ter  of  poor  Henry,  her  words  sound  yet  in  rny 
heart.     "  Genius  is  banished,"  she  said,  "  where 
luxury  is  introduced ;  and  love  is  a  chimera  where 
merit  is  not  appreciated.    By  a  certain  impulse, 
natural  to  us,  we  join  house  to  house  :  but  selfish 
ness  makes  divisions  between  us.     Man  lives  with 
man,  not  by  having  his  character  assimilated  to  his 
own  ;  but,  because  fortune  permitted  him  to  have 
the  same  quantity  of  servants.     Look  on  the  peo 
ple  of  Geneva,  whilst  they  call  themselves  repub 
licans,  they  are  not  ashamed  to  repeat  the  aristo- 
cratical  phrase:    'Gens  du  haut.'     Every  body 
endeavours  to  obtain  the  rich  man's  friendship  for 
no  other  motive  than  that  of  having  his  consider 
ation,  which,  as  they  believe,  it  may  turn  in  favour 
of  their  increasing  property :  but,  they  do  not  think 
they  are  gathering  flowers  on  a  precipice,  instead 
of  taking  them  on  an  even  meadow."     Angel  of 
rny  suffering  heart,  excuse  if  I  tremble  for  thy  vir 
tue  ;  but,  how  can  I  be  calm,  whilst  thy  boat  is 
passing  between  Scylla,  and  Charybdis  ? 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.       119 

€harles,  when  I  think  on  thy  friendship,  on  the 
pure  love  of  Oonalaska,  and  the  tender  affection 
of  my  family,  no,  I  cannot  be  unhappy.  The  morn 
ing  walk  with  Oonalaska  near  Lausanne,  is  always 
in  my  imagination. 

Leaving  our  company  behind,  we  reached  the 
top  of  the  hill;  She  was  leaning  on  my  arm  sha 
ded  with  her  hair,  which  like  a  black  veil  hanged 
loosened  on  her  shoulders  :  her  left  hand  was  in 
mine ;  and  silently  waiting  the  rising  sun,  her  large 
eyes  were  steadily  fixed  on  the  morning  star.  My 
God,  if  the  enjoyments  of  blissful  regions  are  not 
like  the  pleasure  I  felt  in  her  lovely  tears,  let  rne 
live  a  single  year  in  the  rapturous  delight  of  her 
love,  and  I  renounce  forever  to  the  heavenly  im 
mortality  of  my  soul.  After  so  great  a  favour, 
shall  I  ask  of  thee  an  endless  happiness?  When 
ever  I  think  of  her  I  feel  this  life  of  cares,  difficul 
ties,  and  adversities,  changed  into  a  delightful 
Eden ;  and  every  thing  smiling  around  me.  How, 
Almighty,  without  Oonalaska  would  I  be  able  to 
admire  thy  greatness,  and  worship  thy  glory  I  She 
is  the  image  of  thy  Divinity.  In  her,  I  feel  the  love 
of  my  God ;  and  when  forlorn  I  think  to  the  solita 
ry  place,  now  consecrated  with  her  tears,  I  often 
find  myself  involuntarily  on  my  knees  adoring  the 
Creator.  When  I  feel  in  my  dreams  her  rosy  lips 
pressing  my  mouth,  suddenly  it  awakes  me,  and  I 
feel  the  existence  of  a  God. 

LORENZO. 

From  the  above  letters  with  some  unconnected 
thoughts  of  our  hero,  we  argue,  that,  though  he 


120  LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA. 

avoid  to  speak  of  himself,  his  life  having  been 
tossed  by  great  many  misfortunes  it  would  afford 
great  interest  if  related.  He  migrated  almost 
around  the  world ;  and  when  he  heard  Mr.  Ethel- 
bert's  family  went  to  England,  he  returned  to 
Switzerland  among  his  old  acquaintances. 

He  used  to  board  in  a  house,  where  the  pretty 
daughter  of  the  landlady  when  had  either  said  Wal 
ter  Scott,  Byron,  Madam  Cottin,  or  Destael  are 
fine  writers,  she  thought  it  was  enough  to  show  the 
acuteness  of  her  intellect :  and  whilst  every  body  ad 
mired  the  volubility  of  her  tongue  in  praising  such, 
and  such  preacher,  she  did  never  lose  the  opportu 
nity  of  presenting  Lorenzo,  when  absent,  with  man 
ners  injuring  his  reputation,because,when  Lorenzo 
was  at  the  dinner  table,  he  was  sometimes  so  much 
abstracted,  that  he  forgot  all  petty  attentions  which 
a  gentleman  is  often  compel  to  use.  Her  mother's 
conversation  would  have  tired  the  most  benevolent 
hearer  with  her  incessant  praises  about  her  daugh 
ter  :  a  fop,  who  believed  all  ladies  were  in  love 
with  his  pretty  long  person,  and  ten  thousand  li- 
vres  a  year ;  and  a  widower,  who  wanting  to  get 
a  young  wife  to  give  instruction  to  his  large  daugh 
ters,  whose  discourse,  when  his  sweet-heart  was 
present,  rolled  on  his  bravery,  and  his  ability  of 
shooting  a  fox  at  the  distance  of  two  hundred 
yards,  were  all  the  boarders,  besides  Lorenzo,  of 
that  fashionable  house.  But,  as  our  hero  was  si 
lent,  and  thoughtful,  he  did  not  mind  such  self  con 
ceited  creatures  sneering  on  his  back. 

One  of  the  most  uncharitable  sin  of  human  so 
ciety,  it  will  always  be  the  pleasure  of  the  envious 


LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA.  121 

disregarding  the  absent.  The  superiority  of  Lo 
renzo  was  such,  that  persons  of  small  education 
could  put  no  price  on  his  fine  qualities  :  and, though 
they  could  not  deny  his  superiority  when  he  was 
present,  in  the  long  course  of  his  absence,  seve 
ral  malevolent  creatures  prevailed  in  such  a  man 
ner  against  him,  that  in  arriving  thither,  even  great 
many  of  his  friends  received  him  with  coolness, 
and  indifference. 

One  evening  Lorenzo  bein£  in  a  large  circle  of 
ladies,  and  gentlemen,  Mr  Hugo,  the  very  one,  as 
we  have  related,  whom  was  knocked  down  by  our 
hero  when  they  were  school  boys,  was  speaking 
of  Mr  Ethelbert,  as  an  Englishman  unworthy  his 
country  by  having  sentiments  against  liberty.  Lo 
renzo,  who  was  speaking  with  a  young  lady,  inti 
mate  friend  of  Oohalaska,  hearing  to  disregard 
her  father,  could  not  forbear  from  remarking  to 
the  detractor,  that  what  seemed  to  Mr  Hugo  de 
serving  reprobation,  would  perhaps  be  for  Mr 
Ethelbert  the  most  meritorious,  and  good  intention 
towards  his  country. 

"  You  would  not  defend  Mr  Ethelbert,  sir,  if 
you  were  not  in  love  with  his  daughter." 

"Your  answer,  sir,  deserves  to  be  reproved, 
since,  suppose  I  love  Miss  Oohalaska,  it  is  not  your 
inspection  to  publish  it.  But,  if  I  defend  Mr  Eth 
elbert,  it  might:  be  either  for  the  love  of  his  daugh 
ter,  or  for  the  propensity  of  defending  an  absent 
gentleman." 

"  You  speak  like  a  brave  man,  Mr  Lorenzo ;  but, 

we  know  very  well,  that  if  you  were  so,  when  we 
16 


122  LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA. 

were  boys,  your  character  has  changed  great  deal 
in  your  manhood." 

"  It  is,  perhaps,  such  a  conviction  which  gives 
you  boldness.  Did  }ou  ever  read  Spurzheim 1 " 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  but,  though  your  skull  announces  a 
man  of  genius,!  would  not  stick  for  your  courage." 

"  It  is  the  first  time,  sir,  I  hear  praising  my  skull. 
But,  in  answer  to  your  doubting  of  my  courage,  I 
would  say,  it  is  a  hard  matter  to  judge  one's  cour 
age.  I  do  not  know  if  the  theory  of  Spurzheim  is 
a  good  one  to  judge  human  character :  but,  what 
ever  it  may  be,  I  find  in  his  books  many  things  de 
serving  the  attention  of  those,  who  want  study 
human  nature.  He  says,  there  are  different  com 
binations  of  causes,  which  form  the  character  of 
man :  for  instance,  we  cannot  say  that  man  is 
wanting  courage,  because  in  many  an  occasion  he 
acted  with  prudence.  The  protuberance  indica 
ting  courage  being  larger  than  any  body  else  :  but, 
that  of  benevolence  being  superior,  he  will  always 
check  his  self-esteem,  when  he  finds  himself  on 
the  way  of  being  a  murderer." 

"  Your  language  is  that  of  a  coward  defending 
his  pusillanimity :  but,  since  your  benevolence 
checks  your  self-esteem,  I  may  say,  without  dan 
ger,  before  these  ladies,  and  gentlemen,  that  Mr 
Ethelbert  is  a  scoundrel,  as  well  as  any  body  wish 
ing  to  protect  him." 

"  Whilst  you  name  ladies,  and  gentlemen,  sir, 
you  bring  to  my  recollection  that,  as  I  am  before 
a  respectable  company,  I  cannot  use  your  mean 
expressions." 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.  1  28 

Lorenzo  withdrew ;  and  on  the  next  morning 
the  following  letter  was  sent : 

TO  HUGO. 

Geneva. 

I  have  marked  a  brave  spirit  succeed  in  buffeting  its  way  out 
of  its  adversities ;  and  I  have  seen  as  brave  a  one  overcome  by 
them,  and  falling  vanquished,  even  with  the  sword  of  resolution 
gleaming  in  its  grasp ;  for  there  are  combinations  of  evil  against 
which  no  human  energies  can  make  a  stand. 

The  Diary  of  a  late  Physician. 

If  it  were  not  my  duty  to  defend  an  absent  friend 
of  mine,  who  would  not  pass  an  insult  unrevenged, 
your  conduct  being  contemptible,  for  my  own  part, 
I  think  it  deserves  not  my  resentment. — You  are 
under  obligation  to  retract  your  slander,  and  ac 
knowledge  before  the  same  society,  that  MrEth- 
elbert  is  a  gentleman  of  respect,  and  esteem,  oth 
erwise  you  know  very  well,  that  your  language  of 
yesterday  evening  deserves  no  benevolence  to 
wards  you. 

LORENZO- 


TO  LORENZO. 

Geneva. 

To-morrow  morning  at  6  o'clock  I  am  at  Fer- 
ney's  tavern  to  your  invitation  with  a  brace  of  pis 
tols,  which  we  must  discharge  at  the  distance  of 
pocket  handkerchief. 

HUGO. 


124  LOKENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

TO  LORENZO. 

Geneva. 

Yesterday  evening  I  wanted  to  leave  the  socie 
ty  with  you  :  but,  I  thought  proper  to  stay,  and  pre 
vent  any  further  slander.  Robinson,  the  Ameri 
can  gentleman,  spoke  a  long  time  in  your  favour, 
and  said,  nobody  would  call  Lorenzo  a  coward,  if 
he  had  seen  you  as  he  did,  when  you  jumped  in  the 
middle  of  New-York's  bay  to  rescue  a  boy,  who 
fell  in  the  water,  and  bring  him  with  difficulty  on 
the  shore. 

To-day  I  heard  great  many  reproaching  the  be 
haviour  of  Hugo :  he  could  not  find  here  a  single 
person  willing  to  be  his  stickler.  The  whole  town 
turned  him  the  back. 

GARNERI. 


TO  CHARLES. 

Geneva. 

Hearing  you  are  in  Saint-Etienne,  I  hurry  you 
this  letter. — I  am  dragged  to  a  duel  with  Hugo, 
and  want  you  in  Ferney  to-morrow  morning  at 

6  o'clock. 

LORENZO. 

Charles  received  the  letter  of  his  friend  in  the 
evening,  mounted  immediately  his  horse,  and  went 
to  Geneva.  In  reaching  the  house,  he  asked  the 
landlady  information  of  Lorenzo. 

"  He  is  just  gone  to  bed,  said  she :  the  servant 
told  me  he  wrote  letters  all  the  evening." 


LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA.  125 

Charles  went  to  his  bed-room  ;  and  finding  his 
friend  in  a  quiet  slumber,  sat  next  his  bed,  and 
signed  the  servant  to  go  without  noise. 

At  day-break  the  carriages  through  the  streets, 
awaked  our  hero,  who  found  his  dear  Charles  by 
him. 

"Charles,  how  long  since  are  you  here  1" 

At  his  voice,  Charles  embraced  Lorenzo  with 
out  uttering  a  syllable. 

"  Have  you  any  news  of  my  sisters,and  brothers, 
Charles  ]" 

"Yes,  they  are  all  well." 

"God  bless  them.  When  I  shall  be  no  more, 
give  them  those  letters  I  left  on  that  table.  See 
from  the  window  what  kind  of  weather  is  it." 

"It  is  very  damp." 

"  What  hour  is  it !" 

"  Five  o'clock." 

"  Let  us  go  out.     Did  you  come  on  horseback  1" 

"Yes." 

"Well,  Charles,  let  us  ride  to  Ferney." 

In  a  moment  they  got  on  their  horses  :  and  be 
fore  reaching  Coutance,  they  stopped  a  little  on 
the  bridge. 

"  Before  this  blue  water,  Charles,  will  have 
reached  Bellegarde,  where  loses  itself  under  the 
rocks  for  some  while,  I  shall  have  ceased  thinking 
of  Oonalaska,  and  the  hope  at  once  of  seeing  her 
again.  Death  should  be  nothing  for  me,  if  she 
were  not  in  this  side  of  the  grave." 

"  That  scoundrel  ought  to  fight  with  me  before. 
When  we  were  boys  he  would  have  beat  me  to 


126  LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA. 

death  without  your  interference.  Besides,  Ethel- 
bert  not  only  is  one  of  my  countrymen ;  but,  he  was 
a  friend  of  mine  before  you  were  acquainted  with 
him." 

"I  would  not  have  called  you,  if  your  intention 
is  to  broil  yourself  with  my  antagonist. — If  you  do 
not  promise  me  your  coolness,  and  after  my  death 
to  renounce  any  hatred  against  him,  let  me  go 
alone. 

"But,  Lorenzo!" 

"  No,  Charles,  I  insist.  I  would  die  unhappy  if 
you  do  not  promise  me  to  take  no  revenge  after 


me." 


"  Well,  I  shall  not  displease  you  !" 

They  were  now  out  of  the  gate  of  the  city,  and 
Lorenzo  indicating  Les  Paquis, 

"  There,  said  he  to  his  friend,  Oonalaska  gave 
me  this  ring.  When  they  will  bury  me,  let  nobody 
take  it  off  from  my  finger.  It  is  the  promise  of 
our  unfortunate  love.  You  will  find  Bran  chained 
in  the  stable  :  it  is  a  present  of  Oonalaska  to  me, 
which  now  I  make  a  present  to  you,  Charles :  he 
is  one  of  the  largest  dogs  I  have  seen.  I  thought 
proper  not  to  take  him  with  us,  because  if  he  sees 
me  falling  on  the  ground,  he  would  eat  my  antago 
nist." 

They  reached  Ferney ;  and  did  not  stay  a  quar 
ter  of  an  hour  in  the  tavern,  when  Hugo  with  a 
certain  Holland  came  in  ;  and  without  uttering  a 
word  to  Lorenzo,  or  Charles,  Hugo  swallowed  up 
a  full  glass  of  pure  brandy  which,  as  it  seemed, 
was  not  the  first  he  had  drunk  in  that  awful  morn- 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA.       127 

ing.  Holland  in  going  out  with  Hugo,  told  their 
antagonists  they  were  going  in  the  wood. 

"  Will  you  take  any  stimulant,  Lorenzo  1" 

"  No,  my  dear." 

"Though  I  do  believe  that  wretch  is  tired  of  his 
life,  I  saw  in  a  corner  of  his  eyes,  that  he  does  not 
face  death  as  he  pretended  :  and,  I  do  opine,  if  he 
were  not  drunk,  he  would  retract." 

They  followed  their  antagonists.  It  was  quite 
a  sublime,  and  awful  moment  in  seeing  the  heart- 
aching  pains  of  Charles  graved  on  his  manly,  and 
noble  countenance,  whilst  the  smooth,  calm,  firm, 
and  cheerful  Lorenzo  was  endeavouring  to  cheer 
his  friend  with  his  sound  reason.  In  seeing  the 
interest  of  those  two  noble  friends  they  had  for 
each  other,  you  would  have  thought  it  was  Charles, 
who  was  going  to  death ;  not  Lorenzo.  It  is  always 
on  the  brink  of  danger,  that  a  great  man  shows 
the  sublimity  of  his  mind.  At  first  he  is  careful, 
and  prudent :  but,  when  the  step  is  done,  he  stands 
like  a  rock.  In  reaching  their  adversaries,  Charles 
said  to  Holland,  that  he  was  not  come  into  such  a 
place  to  be  a  spectator  of  a  decided  murder,  and 
wanted  to  put  them  at  the  distance  of  chance. 

"  No,  sir,  uttered  Hugo  with  the  accent  of  a 
drunkard :  the  only  chance  is  the  snapping  of  the 
pistols.  But  I  took  all  precautions  to  prevent  it." 

"  Charles,  said  Lorenzo,  do  recollect  your 
promise." 

The  mouths  of  their  pistols  were  almost  touch 
ing  the  breast  of  each  other.  A  striking  contrast 
was  in  the  faces  of  the  two  antagonists :  terror, 


128  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

hatred,  and  despair  was  printed  in  that  of  Hugo ; 
whilst  in  Lorenzo's  it  wras  a  heavenly  serenity  of 
pure  conscience  ;  he  looked  like  an  Angel  fighting 
with  Satan.  At  the  command  of  three,  the  only 
pistol  of  Hugo  was  fired  :  and  Lorenzo  still  hold 
ing  his  cocked  pistol  in  his  hand,  fell  in  the  arms 
of  Charles. 

u  Charles,  prevent  the  news  of  my  death  to  be 
referred  to  Oonalaska If,  in  spite  of  your  friend 
ly  interference,  it  will  reach  her  ear,  tell  her,  that 
in  dying  by  such  a  death,  contrary  to  her,  and  my 
principles,  I  did  never  have  the  less  sentiment  to 
murder  my  adversary,  and  that  I  want  no  other 
blessing  but  her  forgiveness.  Farewell,  dear 
Charles !" 

His  pistol  dropped ;  and,  in  shaking  the  hand 
of  his  friend,  he  expired  with  a  smile  on  his  lips, 
Among  the  letters  he  wrote  the  evening  before,  we 
shall  produce  the  following,  which  Charles  sent  to 
Hugo. 

TO  CHARLES. 

Geneva. 

I  thought  it  was  a  sad  life,  when  we  must  be  always  obliged 
to  be  killing  our  fellow-creatures  to  preserve  ourselves;  and 
indeed,  I  think  so  still,  and  I  would  even  now,  suffer  a  great 
deal,  rather  than  I  would  take  away  the  life  even  of  the  worst 
person  injuring  me.  I  believe,  also,  all  considering  people, 
who  know  the  value  of  life,  would  be  of  my  opinion,  if  they 
entered  seriously  into  the  consideration  of  it. 

Daniel  DQ  Foe. 

Whilst  you  read  this  letter,  the  world  has  no 
more  allurements  for  me :  and  the  fire  of  the  il 
lustrious  geniuses,  and  philosophers  can  warm  my 


LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA.  129 

heart  no  more.  I  leave  on  this  earth  an  object, 
which  the  whole  world  is  nothing  in  comparison  ; 
an  Angel;  my  Love;  Oonalaska  behind  me! 
But,  if  I  do  not  follow  the  plurality's  sentiment,  I 
should  be  considered  a  coward ;  and  then,  what 
kind  of  existence  would  be  mine,  I,  whom  am  de 
pendant  from  society  I  Indeed,  it  is  very  wrong 
to  judge  the  courage  of  a  man  with  so  an  unrea 
sonable,  and  bad  action.  Dear  Charles,  I  disap 
prove  what  society  compels  me  to  do.  But  I 
have  nothing,  nothing  on  earth  now  but  my  ho 
nour  !... He  slandered  the  father  of  Oonalaska.... 
Well ;  since  my  moral  defends  me  to  be  a  mur 
derer,  you  will  find  my  pistol  loaded,  by  me : 
he  is  a  wretch  ;  but,  he  has  a  family ;  he  must  live 
for  her  sake.  If  we  have  another  existence  after 
this  miserable  one,  and  my  example  can  touch  his 
conscience,  by  leaving  him  time  to  become  bet 
ter,  it  might  be  still  a  place  in  heaven  fof  him. 
If  you  wish  bless  my  grave  on  this  strange  coun 
try,  do  not  revenge  the  blood  of  your  friend 

LORENZO ! 


TO  CHARLES 

Geneva. 

II  n'y  a  point  de  hainc  qu'on  ne  desarme  a  force  de  douceur, 
et  de  bons  precedes  ;  au  lieu  qu'au  contraire  la  haine  des  me- 
chans  ne  fait  que  s'animer  davftntage  par  rimpossibilite  de 
trouver  sur  quoi  la  fonder.  «/.  «/.  Rousseau. 

The  magnanimity  of  Lorenzo,  sir,  touches  me 
in  so  a  delicate  part  of  my  heart,  that  I  should  be 

the  most  wretched  creature  on  earth,  if  I  do  not 
17 


130  LORENZO  AND  OON ALASKA. 

confess  to  all  the  world  a  crime  which  is  buried 
in  my  bosom.  As  you  were  the  most  intimate 
friend  of  Lorenzo,  it  is  useless  to  tell  you,  sir,  that 
I  have  killed  the  most  virtuous  young  man  :  still, 
you  do  not  know  all  the  deeds  of  Lorenzo  !  I 
would  not  finish,  if  I  were  to  relate  you,  the 
heroic  actions  of  Lorenzo  at  my  only  notice  :  and 
though  I  accused  my  worthy  countryman  of  cow 
ardice,  as  I  did  see  him  in  Italy  to  behave  himself 
like  a  hero  in  the  most  difficult  occasions,  I  did 
never  have  the  less  sensation  of  doubting  his  bra 
very.  But,  since  I  deprived  society  of  so  useful 
a  member,  my  confession,  will  stop,  at  least,  so 
many  badly  grounded  braveries  of  duel. 

Though,  sir,  I  was  challenged  by  Lorenzo,  it  is 
I,  who  drove  so  an  honourable  young  man  to  such 
an  excess.  I  loved  Oonalaska  ;  and  finding  my 
self  refused,  and  her  father  not  receiving  my  vi 
sits,  at  first  I  projected  to  kill  Mr  Ethelbert,  and 
myself:  but,  thinking  that  so  unnatural  death 
would  have  stained,  in  the  mind  of  the  people,  my 
recollection  with  horrour,  and  detestation,  I  forc 
ed  my  rival  Lorenzo  to  deliver  me  from  a  life 
which  became  every  day  most  insupportable  to 
me.  God  has  punished  me  in  sparing  my  miser 
able  existence.  But,  if  it  will  be  given  me  to  imi 
tate  a  single  virtue  of  Lorenzo,  I  will  exert  the 
greatest  penance  of  my  remaining  days. 

HUGO. 

Charles  after  having  put  in  order  every  thing 
of  his  friend,  went  back  to  Italy,  and  induced  the 


LORENZO  AND  OONALASRA.        181 

brothers,  and  sisters  of  Lorenzo  to  settle  in  Eng 
land.  In  reaching  Calais,  not  being  able  to  find 
Bran,  Charles  announced  a  high  premium  for  any 
one,  who  would  have  brought  his  dog  saved  to 
him.  After  two  months,  Bran  was  found  dead 
on  the  tomb-stone  of  Lorenzo,  with  a  piece  of 
his  strong  chain  around  his  neck.  By  order  of 
Charles,  he  was  buried  by  Lorenzo's  grave. 

E  quelle  parole  frizzavano  sull'anima  della  poveretta,  come 
lo  scorrere  d'una  mano  ruvida  sur  una  ferita.  Manzoni. 

All  friendly  attentions  of  Charles,  could  not 
prevent  the  terrible  new  from  the  ears  of  Oona- 
laska.  For  several  days  she  could  neither  speak, 
eat,  sleep,  nor  cry :  her  situation  was  the  most 
dreadful.  At  length,  she  burst  into  laughing,  and 
crying  at  a  time  :  and  after  a  year  of  silent  sad 
ness,  and  consumption  we  shall  transcribe  her  last 
following  words. 

"  O,  my  father,  my  father,  Lorenzo  died  for  you ! 
Don't  you  see  yonder]  O,  take  away  that  bloody 
man  !  He  is  covered  with  the  blood  of  Lorenzo. — 
Mother,  this  world  is  a  very  wretched  one ! — Lo 
renzo,  in  a  few  minutes,  I  am  with  you.  Beyond 
that  star,  Lorenzo,  no  father  has  right  to  prevent 
me  from  being  with  you ;  beyond  that  star,  no 
slanderer  will  be  able  to  stain  your  reputation  : 
the  depravity,  malignity,  and  envy  of  this  human 
race  is  to  be  washed  out :  your  integrity,  your  vir 
tue,  Lorenzo,  will  not  only  appear  to  the  eyes  of 
your  Oonalaska  ;  there,  every  one  will  see  the  ex 
cellence  of  your  soul. — Father,  mother,  don't  you 


132  LORENZO  AND  OONALASKA. 

that  man  dressed  in  black  ?  His  soul  is  black 
as  his  gown !  He  has  endeavoured  to  stain  the  rep 
utation  of  Lorenzo, whilst  he  called  himself  a  mini 
ster  of  Christ.  Father,  if  I  spoke  any  unkind  word 
to  you,  do,  forgive  your  wretched  child.  Mother, 
you  did  never  give  me  the  less  displeasure  through 
whole  my  life.  Father,  mother,  fare  you  well  : 
don't  cry  for  your  only  child  !  I  am  flying  into 
the  arms  of  Lorenzo:  don't  you  see  1  He  opens 
his  arms  to  receive  me  !  Do  not  cry !  The  affec 
tion  of  Lorenzo  is  that  of  a  father,  mother,  bro 
ther,  sister  ;  he  did  never  deceive  me  ;  he  has  al 
ways  been  kind  to  me  ;  he  is  my  best  friend,  my 
love." 

She  expired  in  the  arms  of  her  father,  and  mo 
ther,  who  seemed  dying  with  her. 


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